It鈥檚 summer and that means slathering yourself with sunblock before you鈥檙e allowed to go run around outside. Not everyone loves that ritual: sunscreen can be cold or sticky. Sometimes it gets in your eyes, and it always feels like it鈥檚 time to reapply JUST as you鈥檙e about to jump in the water or go kick the ball. So, what鈥檚 the deal? Is it really all that important? We get the scoop from Dr. Jeff Yu, a pediatric dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He鈥檒l help us understand: What is a sunburn? What鈥檚 a tan? How does sunscreen work? How do you protect your eyes?
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- Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It grows with us as we get older.
- When we are exposed to a lot of sunlight, the cells on the top layer of our skin get damaged and turn red. That鈥檚 a sunburn. Eventually, new skin cells will replace those damaged cells.
- People with darker skin have added protection from the sun, but you can still burn!
- Your body can heal without much problem from a couple of mild sunburns, but repeated sunburns in your youth can increase your risk of developing skin cancer when you are in your 40s and 50s. (And too much unprotected sun exposure can also lead to wrinkles.)
- Sunscreen or sunblock is a type of lotion or spray you put on your skin to protect it from some of the damaging rays of the sun.
- Chemical sunscreens include chemicals that are made to absorb into your skin cells and form a type of barrier, which will help prevent ultraviolet light from damaging the cells. These chemicals actually absorb ultraviolet light and convert it into something that is less harmful.
- Mineral sunscreens are made of titanium or zinc, tiny metal particles that sit on top of the skin, and deflect the light.
- Your hair cannot get sunburned, but you can sunburn your scalp. It鈥檚 hard to apply sunblock on your scalp, so it鈥檚 important to wear a hat.
- Sunglasses are an important way to protect the skin around your eyes!
