The winter is over, temperatures rise and finally the Sun can be look again more frequently.
Its rays promote mental wellbeing and vitality – energy returns to the limbs, and many people are again active in the first rays of the Sun. Also for the skin some changes adjust through the increased exposure to sunlight in the summer. Here, the Sun is again more frequently display brings both advantages and disadvantages for the skin.
Benefits of the summer
In summer, the skin can breathe again first. So, for example the change between bitterly cold and dry heated air is eliminated in the warm season. Also the production of the sebum from the skin, which drops at low temperatures, normalized so that the skin is oily again in the summer and less dry out.
The summer has other advantages for the body: the rays of the Sun to enable breathing, stimulate blood circulation, metabolism and hormone production and strengthen (enjoyed only in moderation!) the immune system. Also blood pressure and cholesterol levels decrease.
Through the exposure of the skin to sunlight, the body can produce vitamin D that he requires for the bone formation and maintenance. 10 to 15 minutes of Sun a day on face and arms (even with overcast weather) is sufficient to meet the daily requirement of the body. The production of vitamin D be but through extensive sunbathing not endlessly increased; on the contrary, there is the risk of permanently damaging the skin cells.
The Sun not only positively affect on the vitamin D production in the body, even the mood and the physical well-being will benefit from the rays of the Sun: Lichtreize rain production of mood-aufhellenden hormone serotonin on that promotes vitality and spiritual well being and as a result the mood lifts, for relaxation and increases the joy of life.
Risks to the skin in summer
In addition to many benefits, some risks for the skin brings the summer by the increased UV radiation. So, too much UV radiation is the main cause for skin and eye damage, premature skin aging and skin cancer.
The sunburn is one of the classic dangers of the summer: doing the skin responds to an overdose UV radiation with a redness. Sometimes even bubbles are formed. Even with a slight redness the skin cells are damaged. Other sensitivity reactions such as for example a sun allergy with symptoms such as itching, redness and rash make difficult life in the summer especially bright skin types.
A clear sign of a previous Sonnenbads is the tanning of the skin. Although for many people, tanned skin considered ideal of beauty, the supposedly beautiful appearance is deceptive. Tan is actually an alarm of the skin: it makes more and more Brown and black pigments (melanin), to protect from the UV radiation.
The more one sits out the Sun’s rays, the burden on the skin is the greater. UV radiation penetrates to the part until in the middle layer of the skin (DermIS) and damages the DNA of the skin cells. A permanent sunlight of the skin causes that the skin cells degenerate and skin cancer arises.
Who with human herpes virus type 1 infected and is therefore susceptible to cold sores, should be also careful with sunbath. Too much UV radiation suppresses the immune system of the skin – the body becomes more vulnerable to infections. This promotes the reactivation of herpes viruses dormant in the nerve cells: it is now easy for them, multiply and cause the typical lip sore just in summer. It is called solaris herpes, which occurs after solar radiation, hence genital herpes.
The strong solar radiation is not conducive to a youthful appearance of skin in the summer. The aging concerns mainly the connective tissue in the middle layer of the skin. This consists of collagen fibers that are portable among young people and can absorb much moisture. Collagen makes sure that the skin is elastic and tight. In addition, it binds moisture. The cell mobility decreases with age and individual fibers of collagen harden and stick. As a result, that diminishes the elasticity of the skin and less moisture can be bound. The skin becomes dry, flabby, Wrinkly and spotty pigment shifts can occur. UV radiation promotes skin aging in addition: inhibits cell division and thus the continuous renewal of skin and damages the connective tissue, so that increasing number of folds that.
Sun in moderation
Even if the Sun for certain bodily functions is useful and significantly contributes to our well-being, it is important to take some precautions in the summer for the skin. Here is: enjoy the sun always in moderation. For the vitamin D production, Sun on the face and on the arms are quite enough on day 10 to 15 minutes. Hours sunbathing on the other hand leads to acute sun damage (sunburn) and long term chronic changes of the skin (skin aging, skin cancer).
The ultraviolet radiation is strongest during the middle of the day. During this time, would rather prefer a shadow area. A sunburned at first mostly unnoticed. Often he comes only to light when it is already too late. Already, a light redness can damage the skin cells. Sunscreens protect the skin from harmful rays of the Sun without interfering with, the skin forms a natural self-protection in the summer. This is reflected in the tanning of the skin and a thickening of the stratum corneum. In addition, you can protect your skin with long clothing in the summer, the head with a Sun Hat and eyes with sunglasses from strong UV radiation.
