Over the past decades the rate of skin cancer has been on the rise. It is mainly related to increased over-exposure of skin to direct sunlight. Though daily exposure to sun and fresh air is important for the health of the body, mind and skin, prolonged exposure causes harmful effects on the skin, eye and immune system. Many Maldivian’s both young and old spend a lot of time in the sun year round. Many among them may not realize the importance of taking good care of the skin when exposed to the sun.

The sun emits UV rays that burn and damage the skin. UV rays dry out the skin, cause wrinkles, permanent damage to eyes sometimes blinding and skin cancer. Some medical conditions can be made worse by UV exposure. In addition, there are drugs such as antibiotics that make the skin extremely sun sensitive. It is essential to protect the skin from UV rays to prevent aging. Sun damage is almost impossible to erase. Therefore awareness is critical to stop the outbreak of sun related diseases, skin cancer in particular.

However such damages can be avoided with proper and simple precautions beforehand. Precautions are taking action to protect your skin from the powerful ultraviolet rays. When working or spending too much time outdoors in the sun it is very important to take the necessary precautions. Seek shade from trees and umbrellas when outdoors wisely as it does not offer complete sun protection. Shades, clothing and hats provide the best protection. Wearing protective clothing when the skin is exposed to sun is very important. Likewise, tightly woven, loose fitting clothes like long sleeved shirts and pants will provide additional protection from the sun. A cap or a hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection for your eyes, ears, face, and the back or your neck. Never expose your eyes directly to the sun; it could cause your eyes a lot of damage. Wear sunglasses that provide UV protection which will greatly reduce eye damage from sun exposure.

Another important method of protecting the skin from sun is by using a good sunscreen of Skin Protection Factor (SPF) 15+ whenever exposed to the sun - should be applied before going out into the sun. It is wise to re-apply every two hours, or after swimming, exercising or during any outdoor activities. Applying sunscreen becomes necessary on those parts of the body that remain exposed like the face and hands. Sunscreens can make your time in the sun safer for a longer period of time against UV rays. But, it should never be used to prolong the duration of sun exposure. Using makeup and moisturizers that contain sunscreen can also be very helpful in protecting your skin.

As children are growing up, they are more vulnerable to environmental threats than adults.  Many vital functions such as the immune system are not fully developed at birth, and unsafe environments may interfere with their normal development.

While you should always take precautions against overexposure, take special care to adopt such sun safety practices for you and your loved ones. The best precaution is to stay out of the sun as much as possible, and whenever possible it is wise to limit exposure to the sun during the midday hours where the suns UV rays are the strongest. Awareness of the damages and health hazards caused by UV radiation is very much needed to attain changes in lifestyles towards implementation of safe practices to protect us from the damages caused by overexposure to sun.

Always remember that daily sun protection is a healthy life habit.

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