Safe Fun in the Sun

It’s finally that time of year. We get to go outside and add that good old vitamin D to our skin while tanning. A lot of us need it, some of us are lucky and are naturally tan or it takes nothing to tan them.

But what often comes with tanning? Burning. A blistering pain of a sunburn if touched the wrong way.

Some people are willing to get burned if it means they get tan afterwards but in most cases, burning results in your “tan” peeling away and all that bathing in the sun is gone.

Getting burned too badly can actually give you skin cancer. Skin cancer has to be removed by a doctor so it doesn’t affect your body.

According to mayoclinic.org, they state how, “Skin cancer occurs when errors (mutations) occur in the DNA of skin cells. The mutations cause the cells to grow out of control and form a mass of cancer cells.” This means that you won’t notice much or assume it’s skin cancer until it comes to the surface layer of your skin.

At this time in our generation, people believe that getting a tan is the best way to look your best during the summer time. That way they look like they’re “glowing” when they go swimming or just out in public.

Sadly, as a teenager you will be judged or get judged by people if you are “pale” for reasons that almost no one knows.

On bustle.com they had stated that Dr. Signh said, “This leads to loss of elasticity and increased wrinkles.” By getting burned your skin has a higher chance of getting wrinkled before you get older. What’s worse than not having that summer glow and being pale? Being in pain, wrinkly and burned.

But if not applied often enough, a sunscreen can actually enhance skin damage and destroy your skin as well. Fun fact, sunscreen contains some kind of filter that protects your skin from the harmful UV rays coming from the sun. Without sunscreen being applied “frequently” your skin won’t have that filter on it to protect itself which could result in more skin damage.

The sun gives your skin vitamin D, key word vitamin. Vitamins help your bones and a lot of other important things but without vitamin D, according to medlineplus.gov, “Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases.”