Dr. Poonam

Your skin goes through a lot of wear and tear everyday, with sun rays wreaking a havoc to it. The harsh rays of sun does a lot of damage to your skin and contribute greatly to the aging process.

Using a sunscreen every time you step outdoors and using it correctly is of vital importance to have healthy skin. However, most people have different misconceptions about sunscreen usage.

The right sunscreen provides protection from the spectrum of harmful rays of the sun that are known as UVA and UVB, which not only create the threat of skin cancer but also slows down the process of skin aging.

Regularly using sunscreen can keep the skin protected from skin damage. Damage caused due to exposure to the sun is the leading cause of skin aging. The harmful rays of the sun known as UVA and UVB have a tremendous impact on the health of skin and they speed up the process of skin aging. It also affects those with fairer or lighter skin more due to the lack of melanin in their skin.

Regularly wearing sunscreen has proven to reduce skin aging by keeping it protected from sun damage. The sunscreen acts as a layer of defense against sun radiation and keeps it from causing any damage. Skin is, thus, protected from accelerated aging.

How to correctly use sunscreen to reduce skin aging?

There are certain specifics that need to be kept in mind while using sunscreen in order to increase its benefit. Some of these are as follows:

• The right product must be carefully chosen. It is necessary to use sunscreen that has SPF rating of 30 or more.
• It must be reapplied every few hours as sunscreen gets easily washed away due to sweating and exposure to moisture.
• It must be applied at least 15 minutes before stepping out into the sun.
• The habit of using sunscreen must be started early, preferably from childhood.
• Sunscreen must be used even on cloudy and overcast days.The adoption of these measures while using sunscreen has been proved effective in reducing skin aging and preventing the early formation of wrinkles, discoloration and sagging skin.