TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Stay Safe In The Florida Sun

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 10, 2008

Our longer days are here and more of the outdoors we will see. Being that we live in Florida, many of us are in some regard "outdoors" people. The sunshine is part of our lives no matter how we want to see it. With medical awareness at a high, it is important to know what we need to do to protect ourselves. The sun is a wonderful thing but as with anything moderation and a little self-protection is key.

As far as basic sun safety and precautions go there are a few simple rules. The cardinal rule of sun safety is never sunburn. The object is not to harm yourself. Protect your skin with a sun block.

As Floridians, we should wear a sun block of some sort daily, as even light exposure to the sun is still exposure. Protect your eyes. For some it is difficult to remember but sun glasses are very important as well. While driving, if sun glasses are not an option consider having your car windows tinted and ask about "visor" options for your car.

You should also avoid sun exposure with certain medications. Some medications can sensitize your skin to UV exposure and can cause burning, rashes and other skin irritations. Dehydration is also an issue. Stay well hydrated as a dehydrated body is a dangerous thing to have. Every year people prove the sun and lack of water to be fatal.

As for the simple esthetic precautions there are some helpful tips as well. Your hair is still susceptible to sun damage as well. Hair is a fiber the same as our clothes. We know that if we set a dark shirt in the sun for any length of time, depending on the material, we will notice a color change in the fabric as the sun has "bleached" it. The same results happen with our hair. The hair can become dry, brittle and lose its color value rather quickly. So you should always protect your hair the same as your skin.

There are many salon products out there that are designed to protect the hair from the sun, such as "Protect" by Goldwell. It provides an SPF of 8 and is a weightless, metal-free product. If you golf, garden or spend a lot of time in the sun daily, a hat or head covering is always a nice idea as it protects the top of your head from the direct sun.

For those who like to tan, remember it is not about harming yourself. Follow the rules. Depending on your skin type, you may only burn and not tan so you may consider a tanning alternative. Indoor tanning is UV and UV free. An indoor tan that is UV based is a tanning bed or booth. This provides a more controlled method of UV exposure. For those whose skin types are more prone to burning you may start building a tan slowly by starting out for a few minutes at a time and increasing your exposure time as you and the tanning tech discuss. Then there is UV free which is sun less tanning. This is a cosmetic approach to tanning where a form of creme or liquid is applied to the skin and gives the skin a temporary skin tone change.

The sun gives us vitamins that are very important to us. So don't avoid the sun but follow the rules so that your time in the sun is safe and fun. Teach your children these rules so that they learn to be health conscious now instead of too late. I hope you have a great week. Ciao!

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT