| Are tanning beds safe?
Sunlight consists of two major types of radiation: ultraviolet A, or UVA (U-V-A), and UVB (U-V-B). Tanning beds are often touted as a "safe alternative" to the sun because they use mainly UVA radiation, which is less likely to cause sunburn than UVB.
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| Effects of sunlight on your skin
The sun can have a number of adverse effects on the skin, and the lighter your skin, the more severe these effects are likely to be. Both the UVA (U-V-A) and UVB (U-V-B) portions of sunlight contribute to photoaging, or premature aging caused by UV (U-V) light.
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| Protecting your skin
By limiting your time in the sun, avoiding tanning beds, wearing sunglasses, and taking other protective measures, you can reduce your risk of premature aging and skin cancer.
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| Sources of ultraviolet radiation
Ultraviolet, or UV, (U-V) radiation is an invisible wavelength of light whose major source is the sun. There are several categories of UV light, including UVA (U-V-A), UVB (U-V-B), UVC (U- V-C), and Vacuum UV.
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| Sun protection for children
It's important to protect your children from sun overexposure. Not only can it cause painful burns now, but UV radiation that's received during childhood can show up later as wrinkles, premature aging, cataracts, or even skin cancer.
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| Sunburn
A sunburn is a skin injury that occurs from exposure to the sun or another ultraviolet light source. The time it takes to burn can vary from one individual to another.
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| Treatment for sunlight induced alterations
Exposure to sunlight weakens the collagen (CAWL-uh-jihn) and elastin (eh-LASS-tihn) fibers which help keep your skin taut and elastic. As a result, the skin begins to sag and wrinkle.
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| What is SPF?
SPF (S-P-F), or "sun protection factor," is a measure of how much longer a product allows you to stay in the sun without burning than if you were wearing no sunscreen at all.
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