We hear again and again about the extent of horrific damage that the sun can do to our carcass. The evidence is pretty evident as evidently there are those who haven’t heard or heeded the warning. Anyone who has strolled the sun soaked sands of sun soaked cities of Sydney, Sarasota and San Diego will attest to the jaw dropping shock of coming across these people in wrinkled brown leather suits.…called skin.
Saggy, thin and aged, it is a testament to the tremendous damage that collagen wrecking, DNA-destroying radiation of UV waves can wreak on the human hide. And that is what they now have, hides. No longer sweet milky skin but rather a harsh leathery hide. 58 year olds look like 85 year olds. And so we need constantly to be reminded of the 3 best ways to mitigate this destructive sun damage.Â
First rule:Â Avoid the sun. To leave your skin radiant, avoid radiation.
Sunbathing should come with a warning the way cigarettes, alcohol and Charlie Sheen does. The beach bums of today are the dermatological nightmares of tomorrow. Growing up, my best friend’s rather portly Dad would lie in the backyard sun for hours and would joke “They say brown fat is healthier than white fat.” A few years later, he had so many sun damage lesions on his body that he looked as though he had fallen into a vat of brown gum. Â
Second rule: Hats. Big sombreros the size of Tijuana. And should your sartorial taste not allow for a portable umbrella, at least wear a ball cap. Don’t wait for brilliant sunny days to wear them but simply get used to wearing them throughout the sunny season.Â
Third rule: Sunscreen. With the exception of those who swim in coral seas, sun blocker with a high SPF needs to be applied constantly, regardless of your age, whiteness (my legs are famously fish-belly white) or location. Get one that protects against UVA (aging) and UVB (cancer). Be aware of the shadow rule: if your shadow is shorter than you, the sun's rays are at their strongest, and you should go for cover.Â
So sun worshipers….. stop! You are not ancient Egyptians looking for the blessings of Ra. Ra may as well just be short for …radiation.Â