Why Sun Blocking Clothing? What is so special about sun blocking clothing? Does it really make any difference? Can I avoid sunburn and skin cancer?
Why sun blocking clothing is making all the noise? Do you wonder why sun blocking clothing should be on your radar? Have you begun to notice that there are some patches on your body that have been exposed to the sun the most?
Are these spots looking a bit different from the always-covered parts? Is the exposed part of your skin a bit rougher, or dryer? Yes, damage starts early. This is why sun blocking clothing should be in your future.
Of course, wearing sunscreen helps, but has to be reapplied as the day progresses. It burns your eyes when you start sweating. Sunscreen is not enough to do the whole protection job by itself. However, it is a very important part of how you protect your skin from sunburn.
Why Sun Blocking Clothing is actually the best first line of defense? A brimmed hat on your head. Your sunglasses. A shirt to protect the trunk of your body. A loose-fitting long sleeve to prevent the sun from reaching your skin. Your legs need protection as well.
Pants, long skirts, towels whatever blocks the sun from directly reaching your skin. If it helps keep the sun off your skin. and is something you should consider.
Carcinoma Refresh
Carcinoma is one of the cancers that start in your skin cells or the tissue that lines organs, like your kidneys or heart.
Cancer and carcinomas are terms to distinguish between how cancer develops. When abnormal cells divide without control they are soon producing replacement cells that build up. The control or stop switch is not functioning.
These cells are can spread to other parts of our bodies. However, they don’t necessarily travel. These groups of cells may stay where they started, in which case they are referred to as “carcinoma in situ”
They can spread to other parts of your body but don’t always. “Carcinoma in situ” stays in the cells where it started.
What Are The Most Common Skin Cancers?
Not all cancers are carcinoma. Other kinds of cancer don’t use the word carcinoma to describe it. Bone cancer, for instance, does not use carcinoma. The cancer is in the bone.
As the whole purpose of Sun Blocking Clothing is to help prevent skin cancer, I thought we might spend a little time with the words the medical profession uses for skin cancer. I will admit I was a bit intimidated when I heard these terms used for something on my body!
There may be pre-skin cancer spots that are not really skin cancers, just a spot of early skin damage that is not healing properly. These are usually referred to as precancer actinic keratosis or AK. This level of cell disruption is usually easily treated.
You are doing well when you catch some cells not healing properly at this level. Simply because skin cancer can be in many sizes or shapes, watching your skin is important. Treating this level of skin cancer can usually be done fairly easily in the Dermatologist’s office.
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the name of the skin cancer in your outer skin layers or the basal layers. Sometimes called BCC.
Under your basal skin layers are your squamous cells. This level of skin cancer may require some surgery, again usually done in the dermatologist’s office. However, due to the fact that these squamous cells are deeper in your skin layers, more preparation can be required. There can be more bleeding, and a larger area involved.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma is sometimes referred to as SCC. This is the name I found on my insurance paperwork.
Skin cancer by another name. for an article about cancer that caught my eye from WEB MD,
Why Do People Think They Can Forget To Protect Their Skin?
Why do fair-skinned people think they can be out in the sun and not get serious sunburn? Even the darkest tones skin will get sun damage if out in the sun with no skin protection!
There was a time when creamy fair skin was the most desirable one that you could have. Only the wealthy could afford to stay in the house, protected and taken care of.
The wealthy could hire someone to grow their food, tend their chores, and keep the household running. They didn’t have to do their own laundry or hang it on an outside clothesline.
The light skin was a signal you had lots of money! You didn’t have to spend all your time outside.
Then in the late 1950s, Coppertone saw a chance to make some money. The slogan was, “Tan, don’t burn.” Next came the little girl on the beach with the puppy tugging down her swimsuit to show her tan lines.
Don’t be gullible to outdated health practices. You need to clear your head, so you can figure out what you will do to protect your skin. As time makes us aware of the dangers of the sun, we are learning the benefits of skin protection.
There was a female tennis star who developed a tan from being in the sun. The styles were changing. Short sleeves, no hat, shorts were shorter. With a touch of drama, she always entered the tennis court wearing a white ermine coat to set off her tanned skin.
With some oils, a touch of darkening powder to stain the tanned skin. That suntanning oil made your skin look darker than it was. However, some of this color faded soon, your body reproduces skin 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Is Tan Glamorous?
If a tanned look was what you want, you must keep exposing your skin to the sun. Was that what we all wanted as we went for more and more sun time? I know that I didn’t know what I wanted. All I saw was that a tan was glamorous. And something my fair skin was not.
Just another case of wanting something I didn’t have. How often do we think we have to have something that is so bad for us?
Do you know the story about the curly-haired person wanting her hair straightened, the straight-haired one wanting curls? This was not limited to just females, there are so many males who want something changed about themselves.
I think a tan was desirable because we didn’t have one. Those who did have darker skin color naturally probably wanted bleaching creams.
With bathing suits covering less and less of the body, suntan skin was the result. The rich could afford to spend their time pursuing pleasure sports, swimming. and playing tennis and golf.
We may have been less affluent, but we also turned our interests to these daytime sports as well. We all wanted to look rich!
Remember the fashion magazine’s pictures of men and women dressed in white from head to toe? White trousers or shorts, depending on the activity they were doing. I loved white clothing. My lifestyle made white not so practical.
In my life white clothing was frivolous. Sure we tried to wear it, but in a few hours and you could see all the places I sat down on my backside. Blue Jeans were my uniform!
Blame the Medical Profession
Then the medical profession jumped on the bandwagon with new facts about health issues from too little sun. All of a sudden we have the term “healthy tan” floating around everywhere! Nobody wanted to be an unhealthy pale-skinned individual. Who would want to look sickly?
We were unaware that a tan is a sign of sun damage. It is your skin’s way to protect itself. Tan’s are not healthy for our skin. We just like the way our skin looks with some tan. So many things we got wrong when we are young!
Then we had “manmade” tans. This was a solution that contained a dye that unfortunately turned us a slightly orange-looking tan. Not great, but we did it.
It was that all too important Tan! Tanning beds, spray tans, there have been many ways to get the skin different colors. All the while searching for the elusive TAN!
So here we are still wanting that beautiful TAN. We don’t want the skin cancers and the early aging that goes with it all. You do know that the term early aging is another way to say WRINKLES, don’t you?
We should be trying to come to reason with the part of the mind wanting to get out and tan. Then the other part that makes you know you should grab that wide-brimmed hat and the long sleeves.
What Are We Going To Do?
My last trip to the dermatologist made me know what I will do.
I will wear clothing to block the sun. It is no big deal to me. Hats included! In fact, I now know that my sunhat and sunglasses are the 2 most important and most worn items in my sun blocking wardrobe.
Then searching for shade will be my next activity. You will know it is me, especially if it is after 10:00 AM and before 4:00 PM. I’ll be the lady with a long-sleeved shirt, a wide-brimmed sun hat, oversized sunglasses, pulling a wagon to the beach.
The wagon will have a pop-up shade. There will be a good-sized umbrella in the wagon as well. Yes if I am going to be out, there will be protection.
I will also have my cooler of water. Did you know that you will sunburn faster if you are dehydrated?
Where do you stand in this skin cancer situation? Have you given serious thought to how to help yourself prevent skin cancer? As you age, the damage is accumulating, and the danger is there.
Can you see far enough ahead to be wise about your sun exposure? Is the explanation about “why sun blocking clothing making sense?” What Is This Sun Blocking Clothing Mystery?
Are You Ready To Check Out Sun Blocking Clothing For Yourself?
We all want our clothes to look great. These sun blocking clothes can also absorb or block harmful UV radiation. Our clothing remains one of the most effective forms of protection against sun damage and skin cancer.
What’s more, sun-protective clothing is the simplest way to stay safe; unlike sunscreen, you never need to reapply!
Remember To Drink Water
This is a common-sense thing that you must also do to help avoid too much sun.
Staying hydrated will decrease the effect of too much sun. While you may still sunburn, drinking non-alcoholic beverages, mainly water will help protect your skin.
Sami’s Take on Sun Blocking Clothing
As we are learning more about how sun-blocking clothing can offer the protection our skin needs to stay healthy, the more we want to share that information.
My sun hat and sunglasses are the basis of my sun protection wardrobe. I don’t have any of the USP-rated clothing, yet. However, some of the items I have in my closet qualify for a good rate of sun protection. Now that I am aware, I will continue to add more protective clothing.
I am aware of how I can help myself keep my skin healthier. What will you be doing for yourself?
Sun Discloser
Healthline.com is 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.
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 own 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 here you can use to make you and your family safer from skin cancer.