Sun Protection Quiz
Are you doing enough to protect your skin from harmful UVA rays?
Hopefully you have already viewed the article Hidden Sources of Aging which dramatically demonstrates just how devastating UVA radiation can be. UVA radiation can play havoc on our bodies causing skin cancer and dreaded premature aging. Are you doing enough to protect your skin from UVA rays? Take the following quiz to find out.
- Do you wear sun protective clothing when you're outdoors?
- Do you protect your exposed skin from the sun every day, regardless of the season?
- Does your sun protective clothing wardrobe include a sun hat and sun gloves?
- Does your sunscreen contain titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or avobenzone?
- Do you take sun protective measures while in the car?
- Do you protect yourself from the sun's rays while sitting near a window in an office or at home? For a glimpse at the ravages sitting next to a sunny window can have on your face click here
- Do you put your sunscreen on before leaving the house and reapply to exposed areas of the skin every two hours when outdoors?
If you had to answer "no" to any of these questions, you're not doing all you can to protect yourself from the sun's harmful UVA rays!
Many people don't realize that their favorite sunscreen might not be shielding their skin from UVA rays, which equal 95 percent of the Earth's UV radiation. The safest way to guard your skin is to wear sun protective clothing. High quality sun protective clothing offers continual protection for the duration of exposure to UV rays. Sunscreen formulas can start to break down shortly after application, offering less protection with each minute of exposure. Additionally, it is easy to miss a spot or not apply the sunscreen thick enough. It is also essential to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. An SPF rating can give people a false sense of security.
Contrary to claims made by tanning booths, UVA rays are not safe. UVA rays result in "tan" skin, which is the skin's response to DNA damage. Tan skin transforms over time into prematurely aged skin and the DNA damage can lead to cancer.
A last point to keep in mind is that even though winter light feels weaker, UVA rays bathe us with equal intensity year-round and all day long.
The safest course of action is to protect yourself in all seasons. Cover up with sun protective clothing and a wide brimmed sun hat and take a few extra minutes to apply broad-spectrum UVA/UVB-blocking sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or avobenzone.
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