Will you get a sunburn this fall? Yes, you sure can. Really, with summer over, do we still need UPF clothing? How should I protect my skin during the fall and winter? Does the sun get hot enough to cause damage in the fall and winter?
Will you allow the danger of the sun in the fall to sneak up on you and your skin? You are not done with skin protection, even though your official summer is over.
So protecting your skin is important in the fall and winter too. With temperatures finally leaving the 100+ numbers we grow use to here in Central Texas through late spring and summer, you think I am safe!
No more worrying about keeping sunscreen reapplications going! That will get you in trouble. Yes I know, you want to put away sunscreen away with the swimsuits and pool toys.
However, as any dermatologist will tell you, that is not a safe skin move. Protecting your skin against UV damage is a year-round commitment.
How To Protect Your Skin From Incidental Sun Exposure
Incidental sun exposure, is sneaky because it is like what you could experience on your daily commute. Or every day at noon if you drive to a nearby restaurant for lunch. It may not seem like enough to make a difference, but soon adds up to an amount that ages your skin early.
Yes, there is a cumulative effect that results in a face full of fine lines and sagging skin.
What is research saying with the newly released information about protecting your skin in the cooler times of the year? Ultra Violet rays are there in the cooler times of the year, just as they are in the hotter times.
So even if you work in an office all year, you still have to get to the office, and leave at the end of the day. This causes every day, protecting your skin from the sun very important. Your need to protect your skin regardless of the temperature.
Even on cloudy days, and even though you live where the sun rarely shines in the late fall and winter. The ultra violet rays, especially UVA portion of the ultra violet radiation lives in with artificial lighting. There will always be reflections, and other forms of exposure.
One time won’t matter so much. It’s the daily repeated exposures will do more damage. How many times have you had too much sun already?
Wearing a sun hat on your commute to the office in the fall and winter will protect your face, and get this incidental exposure to the sun under control. By using both UPF clothing and sunscreen, you will do a better job of protecting your skin in the fall and wintertime.
Why Will You Get Sunburn This Fall?
According to New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman, recent data indicates that our pigment cells can be stimulated by lower doses of infrared light like your computer screen or overhead lighting.
“People used to think, ‘What’s the point of wearing sunblock in winter?’ especially in Manhattan, where you never see the sun,” Engelman explains. “But now we know that even your office lighting, or your phone screen can be harmful.”
I know that this seems a bit over the top for protecting your skin, but you still need to wear sunscreen even in the dead of winter.
You see, UVA (the a is for aging) and UVB (the b is for burning) rays don’t take a break just because the weather gets colder. And that means you have to keep yourself protected all year long with sunscreen and UPF clothing.
Again, protecting skin against UV damage is a year-round commitment. Your skin will sunburn in fall or winter as well as the warmer months. Sunburn will usually take longer to reach the burn stage in the cooler months, but the sun is still strong and those rays are there, hot or cold weather.
OK, so what should a person do to keep their skin safe in the fall and winter?
UPF Clothing Can Keep Your Skin Safe From Too Much Sun
Remember, “UPF” stands for “Ultraviolet Protection Factor.”
And UPF clothing refers to apparel that offers broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Like SPF (sun protection factor) for sunscreen products, there is a rating number you should check before buying UPF shirts, leggings, dresses, etc. That number or UPF rating ranges from 15 to 50+. SkinCancer.org does not recognize anything below 30 as enough protection to be recognized.
Most clothing from your closet will offer some protection from the sun. Until the day that everything in your closet is actually rated UPF clothing, here information to help you remember to make the most of the clothing you already have..
What Happens When The Sun Rays Go Into Your Skin
When you go out into the sun, after applying your sunscreen, the UV rays sets off an alarm! Yikes, there are some UVrays getting on my skin, better start producing melanin to protect myself. This message goes off in your skins’s survival system.
There is sunscreen in place, but it has to absorb into your skin to work, and protect. That takes a few minutes.
Your bodys’ melanian production is governed by your genetics. So you are only able to produce a certain amount, regardless to the crys for help from your skins systems.
Melanan is being manufactured as fast as it can be. Your sunscreen is trying to penetrate your skin to cause more of your natural melanan to be made. Your internal skin system is running like a fire engine trying to produce what you need to protect your body.
However, here is a spot on your back that you couldn’t reach and you didn’t get sunscreen there.
With the rest of your body covered in sunscreen and getting the major part of the melanin production going to help out where it was applied, your back has no protection. It is getting a lot of sun.
Not only is it burning, but is calling for help from your bodies system. Begging for melanin production for protection. “Help, I am in trouble here, my back is burning.“
Systems Are Reaching Overload
Your body’s call for extra help, has all systems on go with melanin production. Soon the maximum out put is reached. There is no more that can be made right now. Your system has to renew itself. However there is a spot on your back still needing help.
Your body is so stressed out trying to make melanin that it is working inefficiently. The melanin it is producing is more apt to be flawed and not protect your skin.
There may be melanin produced that has incorrect DNA and your system can’t process it correctly. It is just there in your skin.
Will it be absorbed and used eventually? Maybe, maybe not. Melanoma starts with an incorrectly programed bit of melann in your body. It can be a freckle, mole, or other abnormality that begins a tumor. The word cancer means uncontrolled cell growth.
This is important. Your skin is wonderfully and well made, but can only handle so much careless exposure to the sun. Then things began to go wrong as it grows new cells to replace damaged ones.
Summer and winter our skin is subject to dangerous sun exposure. To keep it looking as healthy and attractive as possible you have to help yourself.
Covering Your Skin
No, I’m not saying you have to stay bundled up during the mild fall and winter weather we have. I am saying that if you are in the sun, you should be prepared with UPF or Sun Blocking clothing. Keep the sun off your skin.
After 15 or 20 minutes, you can expect to have some skin damage, if you are out between 10 AM and 4 PM. A loose fitting, light weight, long sleeve shirt can save your skin, even in the fall. A sun hat to shield your face and eyes from the sun is important. Never forget the UVA blocking sunglasses.
We are not kids here. This is important to take better care of our skin.
Each year, the UPF clothing makers are offering better and more comfortable selections of garments to help keep yourself protected.
Don’t ignore this important step in your skin protection.
Now, if you are shopping in your closet, here is some help for making the better selection for comfort and sunblocking.
Autumn Is Almost Here
Do you still need to wear sunscreen with sun-protective clothing? I think it is so important to continue to protect ourselves. We often wear our long sleeve cotton/poly shirts in the sun. But is this a good idea?
For me it is because I forget to reapply the sunscreen. What do you do to keep your skin safe from the sun in the fall and winter?
It really is easier to slip on the loosely fitting long sleeved shirt. I know that using both sunscreen and sun blocking clothing is the best way to stay comfortable and protect my skin.
Does it mean I will have to get over some careless habits? Yes, it does.
For most people, it’s easier to toss on clothing rather thanreapply sunscreen every couple of hours.
A hat with at least a 3″ brim, your sunglasses, a loose fitting long sleeveshirt shirt, and loose fitting pants can give you great sun protection coverage, in any season.
You will need sunscreen for your face and neck, your hands. So much easier to manage than trying for the whole body!
With UPF clothing in base layers, there’s less need for reapplication. You just put them the clothing on, on and you’re good to go. Reapplying to your face and hands is quick and easy.
Think of clothing as your first line of defense against the sun. And with more layers of UPF clothing, the better protected you are from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Tips For Sun Blocking Clothing From Your Closet
When you are trying to determine if you can use some items from your closet, consider:
The tighter woven the fabric is, the better it will block the sun. With a white dress shirt, you are getting some protection, but not much.
However, something is better than nothing.
A woven shirt that is blended fabrics will usually offer better protection, as well as a darker color.
A thicker fabric is usually better than thinner fabric. In tee shirts this is very important. A thicker knit shirt in a deeper color that hasn’t been washed so much.
A collar shirt is also important for protecting the back of the neck where the skin cancers show up.
Aside from construction and thickness, look at the color and fiber type. Darker colors absorb more rays, while fiber type will indicate if it’s good at disrupting UV light.
Your best options are polyester and nylon, followed by wool and silk.
If you prefer cotton, rayon, flax, and hemp, you should know that they are not sun safe, unless they’ve been chemically treated.
People Also Ask:
Do you really need sun protection in winter?
The answer is yes! Even when it’s cloudy and snowy, wearing sunscreen in the winter is a crucial part of keeping your skin healthy and able to protect your body.
The Skin Cancer Foundation.org says that UVB rays are one of the main causes of sunburn. The rays that are the strongest in the summertime, however, sun damage is accumulated throughout your life. Year around.
So, if you use the tools you have available, you may be able to avoid skin cancer.
It is Autumn, is UPF clothing really necessary?
Yes, even in autumn if you are in the sun, UPF clothing can make taking care of your skin easier to do. It is so much easier to wear a hat and sunglasses, shirt and add sunscreen to your face and hands.
So I should cover my skin, even in the winter?
The snow can magnify the strength of UV rays. Snow reflects the sun’s rays, and can double the strength of your UV exposure.
Yes, the UV index is a bit lower in winter, but when your double it, you can be at the same level as with summer levels. This kind of exposure is common during activities like ice fishing, tobogganing, or skating. Or any fun in the sun day.
Keeping Up Your Sun Protection Guard
When summer comes to an end, don’t get careless about your skin protection for the sun. Yes it is cooler, but you can still burn. Sunburn is common in the fall in our part of the world. What about where you live?
Sunburn awareness is important in the cooler seasons, and now that you are alerted, you will be able to protect your self with a sun-safe lifestyle.
Skin protection will get to be a habit. You young people will have much nicer skin than all of us who have been so careless through the years. We didn’t know better, but you do. You have the statistics to help you make better decisions about sun exposure.
Summer Is About Gone, But The Sun Hasn’t
Yes, I know, summer may be over and temperatures will be dropping as leaves start to fall. However, the sun emits cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) radiation year-round.
So in answer to the question:
“Do you have to protect yourself from the sun in Autumn?”
The Skin Cancer Foundation.org and dermatologists all say YES.
I would like to point out that I am referring to everyday living. You will know better what to protect yourselves with in the sport of your choice. There are extreme events that have you out all day. You must protect your skin during those times.
As we continue to learn and become more aware of the dangers of the sun in our everyday living, we see the places. Those times that we allow our skin to get a “dose” of unprotected sun, accidently. That was a lack of awareness.
Protecting Your Skin Everyday
This isn’t nearly as much fun as for special events like vacation time, or hiking.
It has to be done though. So lets look at some basics.
Start with sunscreen on your face every morning. Brush your teeth, apply sunscreen, or apply sunscreen and then brush. Just protect your face. Don’t put it off till later, do it first thing.
If you are a mom, help your kids get into the habit of daily protection.
A Real Life Story From Our Weekend……………..
Story- We had company Saturday, with my 10-year-old grandson’s football game being the highlight of the day with a game at 4:30 PM. My daughter and her family live about an hour and fifteen minutes south of us. They brought one ot the cheer squad members as her parents had activities with other kids.
The other daughter and her family live about an hour and a half to the southeast. They were here too.
You know how on occasion it helps to “farm out” your child. Anyhow, she is a bright, bubbly, blond haired, fairskined youngster with blue eyes. A joy to have around. However, her skin is already getting thick, with large pores.
I am sure she had some sunscreen. At the end of the game, (there were 2,) the younger boys, and the “older” ones, the varsity players, she was sunburned on her face and neck, her arms. I was so sorry to see how she had sunburned.
I remarked about it and her reply was ” it happens every Saturday.” We have to help these kids take better care of themselves. If her mom reads this, I hope she will help her daughter understand what is happening to her skin. Help her rapply sunscreen every 30 minutes if that is what it takes.
With football season upon us I see so many young girls and young women cheering their teams on. I know it is hot sweaty work! They will need to reapply sunscreen very often.
Sami’s Take On Will You Get A Sunburn This Fall
I am finding that most of the time it is easier this year for our family to be protected from the sun. We are more aware when we go somewhere like the ballgame mentioned earlier that major sun protection is needed.
However it is the everyday stuff that slips through. We are protected one time, but all the other ten times during the week we are exposed. There is a lot to be done.
Getting the word out to the younger generation about how they can protect their skin and have healthier bodies. Yes, they will look better too, but there are definite long-term health benefits to healthier skin.
Statics are released all along that point to sun damage and medications. How some medications are known to have reactions or cause our skin to be extra sensitive.
We forget to be careful.
Then we have all the auto immune conditions that start with unhealthy skin. Diseases that living with can surely have an impact on your future. Now that we are living longer, this is more important.
Have you been careful with your skin this summer? Will you be careful through the fall? It is important. Once you have a sunburn it is too late. You can’t undo the damage. You may heal and look just fine, but there is permanent damage dangers. Your skin may not heal as well next time.
Thank you taking time to read about my efforts to help with healthy fun in the sun. Do you have a question? Or do you have a routine that works well for you or your family? Please leave a comment, and let me know,
Sami