Why sun blocking clothing and skin cancer? Do you know how to protect your skin? What are you doing to protect your family from skin cancer today?
Where was this information a few years ago? During the time we were living so many hours in the sun? Oblivious to the damage we were doing to our skin. I didn’t know that the sun was destroying the DNA that regulates skin growth and replacement. Sunburn And Climate Change
Were you aware that your skin cells can grow differently after a sunburn?
That they may no longer fit properly in the space they have to grow in? That is what causes the rough places in your skin, the slightly changed part that will never again replace your skin properly.
Can Sun Radiation Go Through Clothes
(Answer) If you can see the sun through a fabric, then the sun can get through too.
Many companies now make clothing that’s lightweight, comfortable and protects against UV rays even when it gets wet.
The fabric tends to be very tightly woven, and some even have special coatings to help absorb UV rays. Darker colors will help block as well
Your Skin Cell Replacement Cycle
Our body normally will shed skin cells and replace them continuously.
The old cell gets old, dry, and drops off to make room for a new cell to place a new cell for the old one.
This new skin should be healthy and glowing, not as dry and old as the one that it is replacing.
If the DNA is intact, the proper guidelines are there to allow this to happen as it should. However, with sunburn and damage to your DNA, this may not be what happens.
This is not so much a problem if there is one tiny spot unless it is on your nose, or somewhere it is noticeable.
However, repeating your exposure, there will soon be more and larger spots. It will no longer be just a single cell.
This skin that holds our bodies together and keeps us to be able to function works a lot like a sack. We often expose our skin to drastic conditions and show so little concern.
After a while, the signs of wear and abuse began to show. By the time we reach our early twenties, we have often exposed our skin to hours of damage from the sun that won’t heal.
It only gets worse. More damage piles on already existing damage.
You Might Not See The Damage
“Well, my skin doesn’t show damage,” you say. You may be right. Maybe it isn’t showing, not yet.
It is a slow accumulation, but it is building. On your face in small patches known as Solar Keratosis.
Your ears, your shoulders, and your arms. The top of your hands. No, it isn’t too bad, yet. It does pretty well as long as you keep lotion or cream on it to keep the dryness under control.
You think as you slather on sunscreen for some time out in the sun, I need to keep the occasional spot lotioned well.
What about that area on your arm, a white or lighter patch? It tans around it, but not so much right on the patch.
Who knew that this patch is caused by skin cells being overexposed and beginning to mutate? You didn’t know? I didn’t either.
These small areas that should have received protection were back out in the sun and more exposure time!
Just 1 Sunburn Increases Your Chance Of Skin Cancer By 50%
All old news you say? Let’s refresh your memory and maybe add a fact or two about your skin.
Even one bad sunburn as a kid will increase your chances of skin cancer by 50%. That is a pretty substantial risk to take.
This risk-taking act was before you became aware. Before you were aware of the fact that your skin might not be able to repair itself.
I know that sunbed tanning was so cool! You loved how you looked, and it was too cold outside to get a tan.
Let’s look to the future for a moment. In the blink of your eye, ten years have gone by. The result of keeping a tan, even in the winter way back then is showing up.
Your skin is requiring more care to keep it looking moist. You are only in your mid-thirties, but your skin looks dry and not so young. There is definately some skin damage.
You have some discoloration or will shortly. You have to do better. Your skin needs attention, as well as less time in the sun.
I am sorry to share this fact, my naive reader. This won’t get better.
Your skin will require more care and attention to look as good as you know it can. You will soon be spending more money on skincare. Sooner in life than your age suggests you should.
Prevention
This information is shared to help you decide what you will do about protecting your skin from further damage. From what? Wy Skin Cancer, of course.
You knew this was in your future. Even when you were going out without protection from the sun all that time. You knew that skin cancer could be in your future. At least by the time you were 20, you knew.
Yes, most skin cancer is not life-threatening, if caught in time. We know people along the way who have had visits with a dermatologist. These doctors can help you if you have an early caught skin cancer.
They can keep the scarring to a minimum. They can help those open lesions heal up, and you won’t look like you have something eating you alive.
However, if you want to continue to have fun outside, play golf, enjoy fishing, and time on the surf, then sun blocking clothing can help you enjoy being outside. There are many reasons we like to be out in the bright hot sunshine.
For me, it is to watch my grandson play baseball. That is the one thing that I will get out for. Otherwise, I can schedule my outside time. Make it through to a time of less sun exposure, like before 10 AM or after 4 PM.
Is The Necessity for Prevention Apparent?
When you know why you should protect yourself, is it easier to make sure you start protecting yourself?
Find out what you can do. Along with the sunscreens that we have known about, we can also protect ourselves with sun blocking clothing.
There are several companies producing clothing from cloth that have a special weave or treatment to block the sun completely.
How about a combination of sunscreen lotions and sprays and sunblocking clothing for making skin cancer have less power in your life?
Protect Your Family From The Sun
If you are the parent of a young child you must have some information to keep your younger children from harming their skin. Help keep them healthy and as well as protect them from the sun. Regardless of your skin color, damage can happen. Protect your kids’ skin with sun blocking clothing and prevent skin cancer as they get older.
The link below is for some examples of what neglected solar keratosis looks like. Did your lips receive some exposure and develop a crusty scab?
Now that you are more aware of what is happening right from the first sun exposure you can make better choices.
Awareness makes you think. As you are now aware, click on the link below to get some idea of what these early stages look like.
Sami’s Take On Sun Blocking Clothing and Skin Cancer
Giving your family and yourself a chance to have more fun in the sun with less skin damage and danger of skin cancer is worth making a few lifestyle changes.
Making sure you have your sun hat and sunglasses and your sun blocking tightly woven fabric shirt that is loose-fitting with long sleeves will get your skin to a new level of protection from the sun.
This is not an impossible step to take to protect your skin from too much sun but you must tune in and become aware of what you need to do.
Finding a few habits to change can make all the difference. Don’t ignore the warnings, and allow yourself to get a sunburn.
When you take the kids to the track meet in the spring and the sun seems so friendly and warm, don’t forget that those rays can turn deadly in about 20 minutes. Make sure they have the basics to stay ready for skin protection.
disclaimer
Healthline.com was one of my resources for this information. There is so much information online. I know you don’t want to read all the information that we now have to learn about skin cancers. This site is kind of easy to read.
I didn’t either, but as member after member of my family has dealt with this result from too many hours in the sun, I decided to take the plunge. There has been a month of research and study. Visiting with my Dermatologist and other members of our clan, comparing what we have learned. We have found that each Dermatologist has his or her ideas about how we can help ourselves.
Hopefully, this information will help you protect yourself. As I am sharing with my own family what I am finding out, I want the best of the best advice. Maybe there will be something for you and your family in these words.