Now that spring has started, the days are longer and the sun brightens our days, we are all looking for sun creams for the face and suntan lotions for our skin; in this search, we talk about protection against the effects of UV rays and we make sure that the products we use have it.
On the other hand, there are our friends who do not protect themselves from the sun at all, they tan in tanning booths and then the question arises: Do we really know what the effects of UVA rays are? For better or for worse, UV rays are a subject you need to learn about.
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What are UVA rays
The rays are electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sunthat produce light and heat. These rays are not all the same and are differentiated by the wavelength they reach, making us see some of them, which we call the visible spectrum (and thanks to them all the colors of the planet), and that others are imperceptible to the eye, the latter we call ultraviolet rays, also known as UV rays.
Ultraviolet rays are so called because they are ‘beyond violet’, the last color we can see.the last color we can see. They have different wavelengths, which are classified as A, the longest; B, the medium; and C, the shortest. That is why it is important to know the effects of UVA rays, because they are the ones that penetrate deeper into our skin, reaching the second layer that we call dermis.
The fact that we cannot see ultraviolet rays does not mean that they are not present. In fact, UVA rays are an unavoidable part of our skin, UVA rays are an unavoidable part of sunlight and the stronger and more intense the sun, the more UVA rays are present and the more we feel their effects.
Effects of UVA rays: Advantages and disadvantages
So, we already know that UVA rays exist and are present in sunlight even if we cannot see them. Consequently, there are effects of UVA rays that we may not be aware of and that can be quite harmful to our skin. can be quite harmful to our health, especially to our skin.especially for our skin.
But that doesn’t mean that they are all bad, because we still need sunlight for our skin to be healthy. we need sunlight for our body to function better. and also give us that beautiful tan that we like so much.
For years, artificial tanning booths have become fashionable to achieve a tan without the need for direct sun exposure. That is why we explain all the effects of UVA rays, whether they are advantages or disadvantages.
1. Advantage: Increases vitamin D levels
Exposure to the sun and UVA rays stimulates the production of vitamin D in our body, a vital vitamin for the metabolism of calcium, which promotes the health of our skin and has effects on different organs in our body.
2. Disadvantage: they age us
One of the effects of UVA rays is that they affect the elastic fiber of the skin and deteriorate it, which causes us to have a premature aging of the skin cells. premature aging of our skin cells, which will not only make us look older which will not only make us look older, but will also favor the appearance of wrinkles and spots on our skin.
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3. Advantage: tanning
For those who are lovers of tanning, one of the effects of UVA rays that we consider positive is that they tan us, and it is fundamentally for this reason that we turn to them.
Whether we take them directly from the sun or in tanning beds and booths, UVA rays penetrate down to the dermis, which is the second layer of the skin. They will stimulate melanin even more and the tan will last much longer, as it will not remain only in the skin’s melanin.The tan will not remain only in the superficial cells of the skin that are already close to die and be eliminated.
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4. Disadvantage: They increase the risk of cancer considerably.
One of the effects of UVA rays that most worries doctors, dermatologists and that should worry you, is that UVA rays considerably increase the risk of developing skin cancer..
By acting in the dermis, i.e. the deepest layer of the skin, they destroy the elastic fibers, leaving other cells unprotected and accumulating radiation. In other words, it leaves them ready to mutate and turn into melanoma.
5. Advantage: it improves our mood
People are like plants and animals, and we need the sun to be happier. It is not just a coincidence that on summer days you feel more cheerful, in fact the UVA rays and in general, sun rays are stimulating and improve our mood considerably..
6. Advantage: helps to control psoriasis
A positive effect of UVA rays for those suffering from psoriasis is that it improves the appearance of the skin.. For those whose skin has been affected by those annoying red and scaly patches, in some cases they disappear completely during sunny days.
But as with any contact with sunlight and UVA rays, it must be done gradually, so as not to burn the surface layer of the skin and generate more redness, and so as not to run the risks we have told you about of not protecting yourself from UVA rays.
We must be aware that, as much as we love to have a tanned body and feel the sun on our skin, we must expose ourselves to UV rays, we must expose ourselves to UVA rays in a responsible way. The consequences are real, even if you can’t see them immediately. Everything always in its just measure.
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