When sunbathing, it is essential to bear in mind that a series of guidelines and recommendations to ensure that our skin is not damaged by excessive sun exposure. It is more than proven that a good protector is essential.

The time when the sun's rays are most intense

Experts are unanimous in recommending that it is necessary to avoid the effect of lightning when the sun acts perpendicularly on us, which will be the case for the occurs between 11am and 4pm.

The best time for sunbathing is from sunrise to 10 a.m. and then from 5 p.m. onwards. The intermediate hours can be dangerous, to a greater or lesser extent. The reason for this type of risk is that the level of ultraviolet radiation from the sun (known as UVA and UVB) is more aggressive during these hours.

Progressive sunbathing

If we have not been sunbathing regularly and we intend to do so taking advantage of the arrival of the summer season, beaches, swimming pools, etc... we must start progressively.

It is advisable to increase the time spent in the sun each day by ten minutes over the previous day. On the first day we should not sunbathe for more than fifteen minutes. In this way, after approximately ten or twelve days, our skin will be able to withstand - with the appropriate protective products - the time we consider to have been exposed to the sun.

Although these recommendations are general recommendations, it will be necessary to analyse the peculiarities of each person depending on their skin type. For example, while blondes and redheads have a low resistance and tolerance to solar radiation, brown people have a normal tolerance and people with darker skin will tolerate a higher solar incidence.

 

The protection factor, a must

Products with an appropriate protection factor do not cancel out the full effect of the sun's rays on our skin.Contrary to what we may sometimes believe. What they really give us is an increase in the time that our dermis has an optimal tolerance to sunbathing.

The application of a good protection factor should be carried out approximately half an hour before the start of the exposure to the rays sunscreen. In addition, we have to consider that its effect is not very long-lasting, among other things because of the water from bathing, our own sweat, etc... For this reason, it is ideal to apply the protection factor frequently.

Which sun protection factor to choose?

There are different factors that influence this decision. One of them is skin typewhich has a higher or lower tolerance to the sun. We will also analyse if it is the first time in the summer that we expose ourselves to the sun or we have been doing so for some days now.

The index of protective factors has a direct relationship with the time of sun exposure. De esta forma, si elegimos un factor de protección 20 cada 20 minutos de exposición al sol nuestra piel tendrá el efecto de tomar el sol directamente y sin protección un minuto. Si el filtro es de 50, cada 50 minutos de exposición obtendremos el efecto de un minuto de sol directo, etc…

The sun for the little ones in the house

Babies should not go to the beach, swimming pool or direct sunlight. and even less so in high temperatures. In fact, it is recommended that newborns should stay out of the sun until they are 5 months old.

After 5 or 6 months and up to three years of age, precautions should be taken. if we decide to have the children accompany us on a sunny day.

After the age of three, the sun is a very important source of vitamin D. for children, but they do not have to be directly exposed to direct tanning. Children's skin is more vulnerable to the effects of the sun and possible sunburn. Moreover, believe it or not, solar radiation accumulates and has a carcinogenic effect that can progressively accumulate.

Some useful tips for sunbathing

  • As we have seen, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., the shadow prevails. The sun can be very harmful.
  • It is essential to use of an appropriate sunscreen. Para su elección, lo ideal es que sea el dermatólogo quien recomiende a cada persona qué factor de protección es el ideal, en función de tu tipología de piel, edad, hábitos y trabajo al aire libre o en el interior, etc…
  • The application of the protection factor shall be between 20 minutes and half an hour before exposure to the sun, every time we get out of the water, and in any case within two hours of exposure to the sun..
  • The clothing must be suitable to withstand the sun's rays.. It is very positive a hat with a wide brim and a quality sunglasses.