The Science behind Skin Protection! Approaching_02

It’s summer time! Here comes the sun! You will need to use sunblock when you visit the pool. But when you go to the store, there are so many options. You may not know which is best to keep your skin safe. You want to ensure you are protected against the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. To make the best choice, you need to know what these rays do to your skin. You also need to know the skin plays in the human body.

The Sun powers our world. It helps plants grow. It gives us warmth during the day. Its energy is even collected via solar panels and used to power household items. This is all possible due to radiation coming from the Sun. Solar radiation is classified in groups depending on the size of its wavelength. There are microwaves, radio waves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is what can cause skin damage, including cancer. The Sun emits three different types of ultraviolet radiation. Each type has a different wavelength. Type C, or UVC, has the shortest wavelength. The atmosphere absorbs UVC radiation, and it does not reach Earth’s surface. Type B, or UVB, has longer ultraviolet waves than type C. Type B reaches Earth’s surface. UVB radiation affects the top layer of skin and is the cause of sunburns. It can also cause some forms of skin cancer. Type A, or UVA, has the longest wavelength of the three. It, too, reaches Earth’s surface but penetrates deeper. It reaches the second layer of skin. Type A contributes to some kinds of skin damage. Type A causes wrinkles and premature ageing.