Lately, I've been feeling like no one wears sunscreen. I may be wrong, but I barely see people putting sunscreen on at the beach. But in my case, I apply it on my arms, shoulders, neck, and hands as I walk down the side walk. I have been doing this since I have sun spots on my hands and shoulders—and sun spots at a young age is outrageous!
Even though we have sunscreen now, in 1980 Coppertone finally created UVA/UVB sunscreen, according to the website humantouchofchemisty.com. So, people who were born before the '80s had no idea about sunscreen. Everyone should be thankful for sunscreen since it can prevent skin cancer, sun burn and sun spots.
All I want to do is help people understand that sunscreen is very important. So here are a few tips that show how sun spots are formed and how this these can leave the rest of your body getting sun burnt.
Do not panic, sun spots are not harmful to your health.
1. Don't panic; sun spots are not harmful to your health.
Sun spots are formed by UV rays, and the longer you stay in the sun, the darker and bigger they're going to get. Our skin protects us from the UV rays, which is why sun spots form. It is like a natural defense by sending melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin. Melanin is what gives us our skin color, and it also protects our skin by "neutralizing free radicals from UV radiation," according to the an article in The Dermatology Review.
More sun spots produce a domino affect. If you stay longer in the sun, more melanin is produced and the darker your skin color changes, according to the article in The Dermatology Review.
According to the article "Sunspots on Skin" from MDHealth.com, here are some helpful tricks and tips to treat your sun spots:
- Aloe Vera: Apply twice a day
- Apple cider vinegar and onion juice—apply the remedy on your skin for 10-15 minutes
- Garlic: This may seem disgusting, but drinking garlic juice can help treat your sunspots as well as putting fresh cloves onto your skin
- Cod olive oil and castor oil-Mix oils and apply twice a day
- Tomatoes: Cut a fresh tomato and rub it on the sun spots
- Lemon juice: Apply onto sun spots for 10 minutes
- Vitamin E: Buy vitamin E capsules and mix that with honey, then rub onto sun spots
- Buttermilk: Let the buttermilk sit on sun spots for several minutes, then gently wash it off
- Sunblock creams: Wear sunscreens that are higher than SPF 15
2. Who came up with this idea of using sunburns as temporary "tattoos?" And why is this trending?
People use the hashtag #SunBurnArt to create cool designs on their skin. However, they're not realizing that burning their skin can be very harmful to their health...or maybe they do.
This "sunburn art" is a major cause to skin cancer. This is an insane trend to follow, since you're harming your health. Am I right or no?
Having sunburn art is like having a tattoo that can actually harm your health. Why not have a real tattoo? You will still feel pain as you're getting inked; however, you do not have to worry about the skin peeling, risk of skin cancer, and sunspots.
Not only are people making art on their bodies, they[re causing more sun spots, wrinkles, and lines, and increasing aging, according to the website odditycentral.com.
Many dermatologists and doctors are outraged about sunburn art, since skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 3.5 million people are diagnosed with basal and squamous cancer every year in the U.S. Basal cancer grows slowly onto to the body and rarely grows onto other parts of the body. As for the squamous cancer, this cancer travels into the skin more and grows to other parts of the body.
According to the American Cancer Society website, here are some helpful tricks and tips to prevent skin cancer:
- Be in the shade, away from the sun
- Wear a floppy hat
- Cover up as much skin as possible
- Wear sunscreen higher than SPF 15
- Put on your favorite pair of sunglasses
- Avoid tanning
There are many tricks to prevent and treat sunburn and sun spots, but always remember to apply sunscreen on a daily basis. By applying sunscreen daily, you will not have to worry about sun spots or having a high risk of skin cancer.