It is well known that sunlight guarantees good health and well-being. Life itself on Earth appeared thanks to the sun. In the northern regions of Russia for a long time people do not see the sun, and this has an extremely negative effect on the state of health and the emotional mood of the population. Within reasonable limits, sunlight is good for the body, it helps to get rid of allergic reactions, enhances metabolic processes, significantly improves hematopoiesis, promotes good mood, increases stress resistance,.

The inestimable benefit of tanning is to increase resistance to numerous harmful substances, such as mercury, carbon disulfide, lead, cadmium, benzene. The deficiency (“vitamin of the sun”) affects almost immediately, it is expressed in the impossibility of effective absorption of calcium by the human body. A sufficient amount of sun received by a person enhances the production of sex hormones. In sunlight, the hormone of “joy and happiness” serotonin is actively produced, which is responsible for the emotional mood of a person.

The benefits of sunburn are in improving the emotional state of a person suffering from severe forms various diseases. Under the influence of sunlight, the course of inflammatory processes in the human body is softened. There is a stimulation of the regeneration of the affected cells, their speedy recovery, which causes the successful absorption of calcium and phosphorus, the necessary components for normal human life.

Even a reasonable visit to the solarium brings invaluable benefits, especially for residents of areas Far North. The skin after visiting the solarium looks healthy, beautiful, takes on a well-groomed appearance, improves the image of a person. A 15-minute tanning session in the solarium is equivalent to almost a whole day spent in the sunlight. But to get the undoubted benefits of tanning, it is necessary to use this opportunity to tan wisely.

When visiting the southern coast of the warm sea, in order to get all the benefits, the human body should follow the rules for sunbathing. When purchasing special tanning creams, be sure to consider your skin type. Sunbathe for no more than two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Be sure to take a cool shower after returning from the beach, apply a special cream to moisturize the skin of the face and body, which includes in its composition, which promotes skin regeneration. Not bad if your cream will include vitamin E, which is considered an effective neutralizer of free radicals that contribute to the oxidation of skin cells. To obtain the benefits of sunburn, special creams are considered to be excellent skin restorers, designed for use after sunbathing and including lanolin, glycerin, various essential oils natural origin.

Dermatologists quite often advise their patients suffering from skin diseases to spend at least 15 days in warm areas for regular sunbathing, which is surprisingly effective in improving skin condition. For people with skin diseases, sunbathing, taken sensibly, is a real salvation. All kinds of fungi, viruses, numerous bacteria are extremely afraid sun rays, which is why tanning is so useful for people with skin diseases.

The irrefutable benefit of tanning is to effectively increase the tone of blood capillaries. People permanently residing in areas where there is sufficient sunlight have an even, smooth skin, snow-white teeth, they are less likely to suffer from bone fractures, get sick less colds, have more stable immunity, they are cheerful and sociable. For them, gaiety of temper is the norm, attacks are rare. bad mood. They have the most properly selected diet due to eating a large number vegetables and fruits. Such people do not even notice the happiness that sunlight, clean air, an abundance of evergreens gives them. Strive for the sun, good health to you!

The opportunity to lie on the beach and sunbathe is one of the reasons many people look forward to summer. And what a beautiful even tan looks on the skin! However, tanning in the sun has not only pluses, but also minuses, and can even be extremely dangerous for health. So what are the harms and benefits of tanning?

What is harmful sunburn:

• The risk of developing cancer. Unfortunately, the connection between sunburn and the appearance of cancer cells has already been reliably established. Most often, sunbathers suffer from melanoma (skin cancer).
• Exacerbation of some chronic diseases. Sunbathing is strictly contraindicated for people with certain diseases. This includes, for example, people with illnesses of cardio-vascular system and some skin diseases. Although in some cases, the sun can have a beneficial effect on the skin, resulting in an improvement in its condition. But it is better to consult a doctor if you have chronic diseases.
• Allergic reaction. It may be hard to believe, but the sun can be allergic. Often people themselves cannot even understand what they have such a reaction to, not realizing that it is the sun's rays that are to blame. By the way, there is also an allergy to cold and dampness.
• cosmetic defects. Regular sunbathing in the sun contributes to the gradual accumulation of pigments, which then form large dark spots, appearing unexpectedly and in any place both on the body and on the face. It is quite difficult to remove such stains later, almost impossible - not to mention the danger that they will pop up again. And they don't look very aesthetically pleasing.
• Overheat. Long exposure to the sun is dangerous not only because of sunburn, but also because of overheating of the body and because of the danger of getting heat or sunstroke.

Contraindications for sun tanning.

Tanning is contraindicated not only for people with chronic diseases, but also for pregnant women and young children, as well as people with thin and fair skin. In addition, everyone is not recommended to sunbathe from 11 to 16 - at this time the sun's rays are most dangerous.

Are there any benefits from sunlight?

After reading it, it may seem that it is not. Some people, having learned about the dangers of sunburn, begin to completely avoid the sun: do not go out in clear and hot weather, use sunscreen. However, such behavior is just an extreme, as is immoderate sunbathing. In addition, most sunscreens are as harmful to the skin as the tan itself, if not more - so you should be careful when using them. Meanwhile, the sun small quantities useful and even necessary for a person.

Under the influence of sunlight, vitamin D, which is important for humans, is produced, as well as the so-called joy hormone. The sun is able to drive away clouds of depression, cure inflammatory or catarrhal diseases, improve metabolism, well-being and mood, give strength and vigor, and have a beneficial effect on the state of immunity. Therefore, in no case should you deny yourself it.

What to do?

Sunbathing can be replaced by sunbathing, shorter in time (20-30 minutes a day), but sufficient to be saturated with benefits and not get a sunburn (which, in fact, is a tan). It is better to do this at the recommended time, that is, either before 11 or after 16 o'clock, and not every day, of course, but from time to time. It should be noted that in some particularly hot regions, the period during which one should not be under the open sun may be longer - for example, from 10 am to 5-6 pm. To avoid unpleasant consequences the rest of the time, you need to take protective measures: take water with you on the road, instead of sunscreen, use summer hats - panama hats, caps, hats - they will protect not only your face from sunlight, but also your head from overheating and sunstroke.

Good afternoon, dear readers! According to experts, sunburn, nevertheless, does more good for the body than harm, if taken in doses. What is a tan? From a medical point of view, this is the body's response to exposure to sunlight, in the form of a rapid synthesis of a special pigment in the skin and it is associated with protection.

During our lives we make a huge number of mistakes, many of which cannot be corrected. We learn from our mistakes or step on the same rake again, it depends only on us. But Eastern wisdom says: “A stupid person learns from his own mistakes, a smart person learns from others, and a wise person knows where to make mistakes and does not make mistakes at all.”

With the worsening of the weather, excessive exposure to sunlight or insolation on the street does not threaten us. But during such a period, some representatives of the beautiful half of humanity head to the solarium to look tanned and beautiful.

How much can this beauty cost our health? In the spring, there is a decrease in the body's defenses. This is manifested in the body's vulnerability to infections of various kinds, exacerbation of chronic diseases. Worm infestations are more common for the same reason. Meteorologically dependent people complain of a deterioration in well-being with a sharp change in any climatic factors: changes in atmospheric pressure, a sharp change in average daily temperatures, not to mention an increase in solar activity.

What is sunburn

What happens in the skin under the action of sunlight, everyone knows from the school biology course. In the sun, the human skin produces the pigment melanin, which is designed to protect the skin from sunlight. Melanin cells absorb heat rays and neutralize the action of ultraviolet rays.

Melanin, exposed to ultraviolet radiation, from the lower layers of the skin rises to the upper and is distributed evenly over its entire surface. It turns out the effect that we call a tan, it is a kind of cloak that protects us from sunstroke and burns.

Interesting fact… The protective functions of dark skin are much higher compared to light skin. A swarthy woman can protect the body throughout her life from the sun, about 450,000 days, and a light one, only for 15,000. Such a biological limit is laid down by nature, after the skin loses its ability to protect against solar attack, which will immediately affect health.

This is the main benefit. Protect, not embellish. From what? More on this later.

The benefits and harms of sunburn

Our body has not lost its remarkable ability to synthesize vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in the skin under the influence of sunlight. It is called so because it is synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is always in our body and plays a very important role in the synthesis of bile acids and some hormones. Scientists also consider vitamin D to be a hormone-like substance due to its participation in the regulation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism. Watch a video about the benefits and dangers of tanning:

O useful properties of this vitamin for our body, read in more detail: about vitamin D

Another benefit is that ultraviolet rays help develop the body's resistance to harmful substances (mercury and cadmium, benzene and lead, carbon disulfide and carbon tetrachloride).

The synthesis of individual sex hormones is also enhanced, for example, the hormone of joy. Serotonin makes a person happy and good mood. This explains that in good, sunny weather, the mood always rises. At such moments, it is easier to cope with stress and depression.

Beneficial exposure to the sun affects skin diseases (eczema and psoriasis, neurodermatitis). The sun's rays are an excellent disinfectant, its effect accelerates the process of death of viruses, bacteria, fungi.

Within reasonable limits, the sun has a beneficial effect on health:

• enhancing metabolic processes and activating the formation of blood cells;
• suppressing allergic diseases;
• increasing stress resistance and strengthening immunity;

What protects our body pigment melanin

Let's figure out why it protects. They are protected from danger. What danger is fraught with the sun's rays? After all, the benefits are undeniable. We've already figured it out. But in life, nature and society, opposites always live and fight (in fact, they are many-sided, look around).

We often repeat: black and white, day and night, man and woman, yin and yang, winter and summer, cold and heat, good and evil, poison and medicine, life and death... And so on ad infinitum. Benefit goes hand in hand with harm. Poison can kill a person or animal, but in homeopathy, it is poisons taken in microdoses or products containing the memory of it (that is, trace amounts that are not determined by any device, there are so few of them) that are used in the treatment of many pathologies.

The device does not determine, but the human body reads information about the substance and recovers, recovers. Isn't this a miracle?

Everyone has experienced a sunburn at least once in their life. This skin reaction is our body's signal of danger, a warning, but do we understand this signal?

When we burn ourselves by accidentally touching a hot object in the kitchen or a hot iron, curling iron, whatever, science is remembered for a long time. Stop. Dangerously. Pain! It turns out only through pain, as the most effective method can reach our consciousness.

But how many remember their sunburns. Well, it turned red, well, it hurt and then, if the skin didn’t peel off, it means that after a little inconvenience you got a beautiful tan. That's what the majority thinks.

While studying at the institute, I fully realized the horror that I did with my skin, when I remember my many hours of “relaxation” on the beach. Now I never sit or lie in the sun on purpose. Only in the shade of trees. The result is the same, but gentle on the skin.

And at noon hours in the summer I try not to be in the open sun or I protect myself from the scorching sun by all available means: a hat, glasses, light breathable clothing, an umbrella in extreme heat.

Sun damage to skin

Not everyone knows that the ozone layer does not block the entire spectrum of ultraviolet radiation and some of these rays come to us on earth. Waves of shorter length and higher frequency have more energy. They act mainly on the surface of the skin - the cells of the epidermis, causing their damage.

As a result, proteins begin to break down, histamine and similar substances that affect blood vessels are formed. The body's response is manifested in reddening of the skin, increased swelling and soreness. It depends on the duration and intensity of exposure to sunlight. After 3-5 days, all these symptoms disappear, and the skin darkens, sometimes it can peel off.

Longer wavelengths have lower frequency and energy and are able to penetrate the skin more deeply. They make up 95% of the ultraviolet rays reaching the earth's surface. Penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin, they cause the oxidation of the reduced colorless form of melanin, which is always present in the cells. Oxidized melanin stains and protects the core of the skin cell from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. Melanin is able to filter 90% of ultraviolet radiation of any range.

It protects the nucleus, but the water in the cell undergoes photolysis - splitting under the influence of ultraviolet radiation as well as from x-rays. In the process of photolysis, water, accepting the energy of wave radiation, decomposes into a number of products. Free radicals (high energy particles) including.

So what, you think, because these particles cannot exist for a long time. This is true. But their energy and lifetime is sometimes enough to cause a mutation in the cell's DNA. But this is already serious and entails unpleasant consequences.

Lamps in solariums use long-range ultraviolet wavelengths, but their intensity is 12 times higher than that reaching from the Sun to the Earth. Therefore, lovers of solariums increase the risk of skin cancer several times. Despite the filters installed in these lamps, you still need to be aware of the risk. V Lately it was found that the use of a solarium from youth increases the likelihood of melanoma by 75%.

Statistics World Organization The UV health report confirms that 90% of people with melanocytic skin cancer had fair skin and overexposed sunbathing.

Those who have dark skin or swarthy are less at risk, but this does not mean that they long time may be under the rays. The sun damages the eyes and weakens the immune system.

Childhood sunburns increase the risk of melanoma. And excessive exposure to the sun, before the formation of blisters in adults, increases the risk of skin cancer. In addition, scientists argue that sunburn leaves its traces in the DNA of cells.

What happens from prolonged exposure to the sun

As noted above, the level of sun protection for each person is different. And it depends on the color of the skin. The natural level of protection allows a person to be under a continuous stream of sunlight from 5 to 40 minutes. That is, without the use of sunscreen, without an umbrella and panama. The skin itself is able to protect the body during this period.

Abuse of exposure to the sun, leads to the formation of "solar callus". On the one hand, it does not allow the penetration of the sun's rays into the deeper layers of the skin. But on the other hand, this leads to an increase in calluses, which is expressed in thickening of the skin by (0.3-0.5 mm). After a few years, such skin turns into a "tanned", very rough.

The formation of solar callus quickly ages the skin, it disrupts the natural physiological processes that lead to the formation of deep wrinkles, age spots appear, solar keratoses, which are classified as a precancerous condition.

How do the rays of the sun affect children's skin

The uppermost layer is the stratum corneum, very thin, the skin is young and tender. The rays of the sun therefore freely penetrate into its deep layers, quickly provoking burns.

After 3 years, you can use skin protection products (gels, creams, foams) with a skin-neutral composition, without dyes, alcohol and other additives designed specifically for children, with a protection filter of at least 25. The products are applied to the skin every 2 hours.

Is tanning good or bad for pregnant women?

For pregnant women, as well as for small children, exposure to the sun for a long time is undesirable. Prolonged insolation can cause an increase in the internal temperature and the temperature of the fetus, which can affect the development of the brain.

The period of pregnancy causes the activation of the synthesis of female sex hormones (estrogen hormone), which contributes to the appearance of pigmentation.

Scientists have established in the course of many years of observation that there is some pattern between prolonged exposure to the sun during pregnancy and developmental disabilities. nervous system. And the answer was found to this question. The sun's rays reduce the level of folic acid in a woman's body, and during this period it is necessary for healthy development future child.

For whom sunbathing is contraindicated

Skin tanning is contraindicated for:

• people with cancer or a predisposition to it;
• who have undergone chemotherapy;
• having connective tissue diseases;
• for people with skin type 1 (blonds and blondes with blue eyes and redheads) and skin type 2 (blonds and blondes with brown eyes, as well as red-haired);
• people with dysplastic nevi;
• after treatment with antibiotics and taking photosensitizers, which can cause increased skin pigmentation;

People with chronic psoriasis, especially in the period of exacerbation, sunbathing should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor.

When applying sunscreen, remember that it protects skin from burns, slow down the synthesis of melanin, and not from exposure to ultraviolet rays on cell DNA. This suggests that the risk of developing melanoma remains.

If you still want to tan, but are afraid of getting burned, use creams with SPF 15-20 protection.

Try to sunbathe in the morning and evening hours, sun exposure from 10 am to 4 pm is not recommended. It is more useful to tan in May, June, and July and August are the months of the greatest activity of the sun.

After sun exposure, take a shower and apply moisturizer to your skin. Wear cotton clothing, a hat and glasses. And do not forget about the drinking regimen.

Without the sun, our very life would be impossible. It was the energy of sunlight that green plants learned to store, fixing it into the energy of chemical bonds of organic molecules. We only transform it when we digest these molecules. There is no need to be afraid of the sun, but you need to behave correctly with this blessing.

The benefits of sunburn are obvious, but its harm is also obvious. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the measure, and it is even better to take the scattered radiation of the sun, and not the direct effect of its rays. Do not forget about sunscreen, dose the time spent in direct sunlight.

Take care of your health!

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Going to rest at sea or out of town, we hope not only to relieve stress and improve health, but also to get beautiful skin warm shade. For such a result, you need to know how to properly sunbathe in the sun, otherwise you can just get burned and covered with ugly spots.

What is a tan?

Sunburn is a reaction of the human body to exposure to sunlight. Ultraviolet, getting on the skin, activates the production of melanin pigment, which gives the skin a dark shade to protect it from aggressive effects.

Thus, sunburn is a protective reaction of the body. Tanned skin has a thickened stratum corneum, which provides additional protection from long ultraviolet and infrared rays.

The benefits of tanning

• Under its action, vitamin D is synthesized in the body, which is necessary for strong bone muscles and the prevention of diseases such as rickets.
• Ultraviolet improves the activity of the endocrine system and improves metabolic processes and blood circulation.
• It also strengthens the immune system and dries inflammation on the skin.
• Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the “hormone of happiness” is produced - endorphin, which is necessary to combat stress and bad mood.

The harm of sunburn

Everything is good in moderation, tanning is no exception. If you stay in the sun for too long and during the most dangerous hours, then there will be no benefit, even if you think you know how to tan properly. Unreasonable exposure to the sun's rays is fraught with a number of dangers:

• increased risk of developing skin cancer;
• dehydration occurs;
• the load on the cardiovascular system increases;
• the aging process of the skin is accelerated, wrinkles and age spots appear;
• the work of the nervous system is disrupted, which can fail in the form of nervousness and overexcitation, or, on the contrary, depression and a depressive state.

Anyone who knows how to sunbathe without harming the skin is unlikely to encounter these unpleasant consequences of sunbathing.

Beware the sun!

No matter how sad it may sound, not everyone can bask in the sun. Sunburn is contraindicated in the presence of the following diseases:

• malignant and benign tumors, diseases of the female reproductive system (myoma, erosion);
• acute form of tuberculosis;
• hypertension;
• serious skin diseases (psoriasis, dermatitis);
• thyroid disease;
• diabetes;
• infectious diseases (mononucleosis, chickenpox, hepatitis);
• increased body temperature;
• psychoneurological diseases.

Limit sun exposure to the following categories:

• White-skinned people with white or red hair. We will talk about how to tan with fair skin a little later.
• Children under the age of 5, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

The best time for sunbathing

Informing about how to tan properly should start with knowing the right time to tan.

1. Morning hours: 8 am to 11 am is the best time. The air is still fresh in the morning, and the sun slightly warms, preventing the skin from burning.
2. Daytime hours. Sunbathing during the day (from noon to 16 hours) is not allowed. Ultraviolet rays at this time become direct and long, they adversely affect the skin and can lead to heat stroke.
3. Evening hours. In the evening, the sun reduces its activity, and again comes a comfortable time for sunbathing.

People of the Celtic phototype - fair-skinned blondes and redheads - should know how to sunbathe on the beach. Extreme caution is needed, because white skin does not produce enough melanin, which means that those whose skin is pale are at a high risk of developing skin cancer.

Simple Rules

By following simple rules, you can not only tan beautifully at the sea, but also maintain and improve your health.

1. Before going to sea, gently exfoliate the entire body with a suitable scrub. The procedure should not be repeated before returning from the seaside resort in order to avoid injury to the skin.
2. Before leaving the house on a sunny day, do not wash with soap and do not use cosmetics They are alcohol based and dry out the skin.
3. Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 40. Apply the product every 1.5 hours and after water procedures.
4. The face and lips need stronger protection. For them, pick up a cream and balm with a sunscreen from 50 units.
5. After swimming in the sea, take a shower, dry your skin and apply sunscreen.
6. When sunbathing on the beach, choose a place away from the water. The water surface reflects the sun's rays, enhancing their activity.
7. Change positions often to avoid burning out.
8. Drink more water to avoid dehydration.
9. After returning home, take a shower and be sure to apply moisturizing milk or cream to the body, these products will not only fill the skin with moisture, but also fix the resulting tan.

Opening the season

Taking a sunbath for the first time in a season, read the rules on how to properly sunbathe after a long break.

• Remember that you need to sunbathe gradually, starting with 15-20 minutes in the morning or evening, gradually increasing the time in the sun to an hour.
• You should not immediately go out into the open sun; for the first time, oblique rays falling under a beach umbrella are quite enough.
• You can not go to the beach immediately after dinner or on an empty stomach, it is better to wait about half an hour after eating.
• After sunbathing, you should sit in the shade for a while and let your skin cool down.
• You can quickly tan in the sun during physical activity, for example, during sports games on the sand.

Only knowing how to properly sunbathe in the summer, you can get a beautiful golden skin tone. Warm sunshine to you!

The sun is the guarantor of health, one of the most important medicines known to man since ancient times. Thanks to the sun's rays, life exists on Earth. Sunlight is necessary for man. In reasonable doses, it helps the body suppress allergic diseases, enhances metabolic processes and improves blood formation, improves mood, increases stress resistance and strengthens the immune system, so in summer people are less likely to get colds. However, an excess of ultraviolet radiation is harmful and can provoke a number of skin diseases and internal organs. How to protect yourself from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation will be discussed in this article.

UV increases resistance to many harmful substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium, benzene, carbon tetrachloride and carbon disulfide. Vital, which serves as a building material for bones and teeth, is formed in the skin exclusively under the influence of sunlight. The lack of this vitamin in children leads to rickets, a violation of the formation of bone tissue, and in adults to the appearance of osteoporosis (bone fragility). The sun enhances the production of certain sex hormones. In sunlight, the "hormone of joy" is actively produced - serotonin, responsible for a good mood, as a result, on a clear sunny day, a dull mood disappears without a trace.

In the solar spectrum, ultraviolet rays (UV rays) and infrared rays (IR rays) are distinguished. The luminary owes its warmth to infrared rays. Their action is superficial, however, from overheating in the sun, the walls of blood vessels are destroyed and a red mesh appears under the skin. In addition, these rays exacerbate the harmful effects of UV rays. UV rays make up only 5% of all radiation, but it is they that affect the skin. These rays are invisible. There are three types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. Long-wave UVA rays (320-400 nm) penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. Short-wave UVB rays (290–320 nm) damage primarily the top layer of the skin and cause sunburn, and if no protective measures are taken, redness, sunburn and blisters. Due to the ozone layer, UVC rays, which are the most dangerous for humans, should not have reached the Earth. But due to significant pollution environment ozone holes appeared in the protective layer of the atmosphere, through which these dangerous radiations pass to the Earth.

With excessive ultraviolet radiation and the lack of necessary precautions, irreparable harm can be done to the body. Excess sun leads to a weakening of the immune system, since all its forces are aimed at protecting the body from dangerous rays. Ultraviolet is one of the main factors of aging. According to the latest data, UV rays are able to penetrate the genetic apparatus of skin cells, damage it and activate free radicals, which are responsible for skin aging. Sunburn itself is not harmful, but it usually goes through the sunburn stage, and sunburns are certainly very harmful. To date, the link between sunburn and cancer has been proven. Sunburns received in childhood increase the risk of developing melanoma, one of the most malignant tumors. Burns suffered in adulthood increase the risk of developing skin cancer. In addition, sunburn tends to accumulate - all sunburns remain in the DNA of cells.

Each person has their own protection from the sun's rays, called the "natural level of protection." This is the time during which you can stay in the sun without using sunscreen, without risking getting burned. The duration of such exposure to the sun depends on the type of skin and ranges from 5 to 40 minutes. During this period, the skin is protected from the sun's rays with its natural levels of protection. Under the influence of sunlight, human pigment cells ( melanocytes) begin to intensively produce a special protective substance - melanin, which gives the skin a dark shade. Melanin cells absorb heat rays and neutralize the action of ultraviolet radiation. Under the rays of the sun, melanin from the deep layers of the skin rises and is evenly distributed over the entire surface. The body acquires a beautiful tan and at the same time a kind of protective shell - from burns and sunstroke. Over the course of a lifetime, dark skin can protect the body for about 450,000 hours, while light skin can protect the body three times less. When the limit is exhausted, a person will remain unarmed against a solar attack, which can seriously harm health. If you resort to protection too often, a “sun callus” forms on the body, which prevents the penetration of sunlight into the deeper layers of the skin. Each time the top layer of the skin thickens by 0.3–0.5 mm, over the years, regular tanning makes it “tanned” and rougher. This pathological process accelerates the physiological aging of the skin. It dehydrates early, becomes dry, deep wrinkles, age spots and so-called solar keratoses, related to precancerous diseases, appear on it. The sun ages the skin and photoaging is associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Thus, the sun needs to be dosed and the issue of dosage is decided individually. In order to know how much time a person can safely spend in the sun, creams with what degree of protection it is better for him to use, you need to determine your phototype. Doctors distinguish six phototypes, but two of them, the fifth and sixth, are characteristic only of the original inhabitants of India, Africa and Australia.

to the first type include blue-eyed blondes and blondes, red-haired people. Their skin is very light, thin, slightly pink, sensitive, there are freckles. It is very difficult for people with such skin to tan, after 15–20 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight, their skin begins to burn. Such people are generally not recommended to sunbathe.

Second phototype- these are blondes, blondes, red and fair-haired people, but with brown or gray eyes. The skin is light with rare freckles. The risk of burning remains, but it is already much less. Burns in the second skin phototype occur after 20–40 minutes of exposure to sunlight. This skin tans more easily than Type 1 skin.

to the third type include brown-eyed people with brown or dark blond hair and fairly fair skin (ivory). This phototype is the most common among Europeans and tans freely, sometimes even without a reddening stage, acquiring an intense dark brown hue. People of the third type are at risk of getting a burn only after 1-2 hours of exposure to the sun.

In people with fourth phototype- dark skin, olive color, brown eyes, hair - dark brown, black. This phototype does not have freckles. People with such skin always tan easily and quickly, almost never burn in the sun. The tan color is very intense.

People with I-III phototype are recommended to use sunscreen. All sunscreens have an SPF (Filtration Photo Stable) rating - a sun protection factor, which indicates how effective protection against sunburn is, that is, how many times longer you can stay in the sun after applying a sunscreen without risking a burn. Creams with SPF protect the skin from burns, but not from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on cell DNA, and the risk of melanoma is still not reduced. As a rule, it is selected depending on the color of the skin and the goal. A cream with SPF 100 conditionally provides 100% protection, but this protection only lasts for a short time after application. In this case, the tan does not appear. If the goal is to tan, it is better to choose sunscreens with SPF 15-20. You can not regularly use self-tanning creams, it is better to use them in case of emergency. All drugs that are applied to the skin, especially on a large area, enter the body - are absorbed, undergo metabolic transformation in the liver and are excreted, like all drugs.

There are people who are strictly contraindicated to sunbathe:
those who always burn - the owners of I and II skin phototypes;
people with connective tissue diseases;
people with systemic and oncological diseases;
people with dysplastic nevi;
people whose close relatives had melanomas;
after chemotherapy;
after taking antibiotics (within the last month);
after taking photosensitizers (these drugs will cause hyperpigmentation on the skin).

It is very carefully necessary to sunbathe for people suffering - the sun heals some forms of this disease, while others, on the contrary, exacerbate. If you “re-sunbathe”, psoriasis can go from one form to another. In addition, you should not sunbathe during pregnancy. During pregnancy, with excessive ultraviolet radiation in a woman's body, the content of hormones, especially estrogen, increases, and this can lead to skin pigmentation, the appearance of a “pregnancy mask” that appears on the forehead and nose. Such spots may disappear after childbirth, or they may remain for life. Some doctors even see a connection between excess ultraviolet radiation and malformations of the child's nervous system.

It should be borne in mind that the most important thing is not to be in the sun from 10 am to 4 pm. The best time to visit the beach is from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. The most dangerous months for sunbathing are July and August. Every year, the activity of the sun is determined and a special curve of solar activity is built, fixing its peaks and falls. The curve corresponds not to months, but to days and weeks. As a rule, most peaks occur in July and August. In addition, regardless of the month, the sun is most active in places over which there are ozone holes, and high in the mountains. After sunbathing, you need to take a shower and apply a moisturizer after sunburn, which will contain vitamin E. For the face and body, the products should be different. Drink more fluids to prevent dehydration. The best defense from the sun - light cotton clothing, not adjacent to the body. Be sure to wear sunglasses and hats.

An important element of a beautiful tan is diet. A special diet helps to provide additional protection for the skin from harmful sun rays. There are certain foods that stimulate the production of melanin and keep the bronze color of the skin for a longer time.

Doctors identify 5 main ingredients that optimize the natural tanning process:

1. Tyrosine(which is synthesized in a healthy body from phenylalanine) and tryptophan. These amino acids, which stimulate the production of melanin in the skin, are found in protein foods: phenylalanine - in most protein products, tryptophan - in vegetable proteins (soy, peanuts, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, to a lesser extent - in fish, chicken, turkey, meat) .

2. beta carotene- yellow-orange plant pigment. It activates the body's natural defense against solar radiation, helps prevent burns and destruction of the skin cell membrane. Beta-carotene is a natural antioxidant that protects the skin from premature aging and inhibits the transformation of cells into malignant ones. In addition, like melanin, this pigment is deposited in the skin, giving it a golden hue. Found in vegetables and fruits of red, orange and yellow color: carrots, sweet peppers, oranges, peaches, etc.

Thus, if every day there are dairy products, lean meat, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, lard on the table, then such a diet will help to become bronzed and keep the skin smooth and supple. In the southern resorts, you can eat citrus fruits, nuts, yogurt and seafood.

Therefore, protection from UV rays is a personal matter for each person. Given your own phototype and following the rules of safe tanning, you can get a healthy tan without provoking the development of pathological processes.

Kvitchataya A.I., Yakushchenko V.A., NUPh, Kharkov