How to Prevent Your Skin From Getting Tanned During Excessive Outdoor Activities

Do you spend a lot of time out in the sun? Have you skin colour darkened over time? This is all a result of melanin pigmentation which develops on the skin due to tanning. Not just tanning or sunburn, the harmful UV rays of the sun can also pose some serious risks including premature aging, skin cancer and even eye damage. Especially, when you are in direct contact with the sun during your outdoor activities, extra precautions are a must!

Tips To Avoid Sun Exposure

1. Avoid playing during the peak hours of heat. Try and avoid to schedule your regular outdoor activities between 10 am to 4 pm. This is when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest and the most harmful. In addition to the peak periods, also consider the fact that UV rays are more intense during the late summer and spring months, at higher altitudes, when reflected from snow, concrete, ice, water and sand, and when you are closer to the equator.

2. Make sure you apply sunscreen or tanning oil. Either of the two should be used every day to avoid your skin from sun exposure risks but when you’re out there in the sun, doing excessive outdoor activities - a sunscreen is a must! Even when it’s cloudy, wearing sunscreen will provide you optimum protection from harmful UVA/UVB rays that tan and burn the skin. UVA rays are more harmful as they penetrate the skin more deeply and lead to a sun-induced skin problem called photoaging.

3. It is also suggested that you wear protective clothing. In correlation to the above tips, wearing protective clothing can prove to be the most effective way to protect your skin from sun exposure. You can wear bright or dark-colored clothes which are densely woven yet lightweight. Make sure that you can’t see light passing through the fabric, if it does then this means that UV light is also getting through. There are many brands in the market which specifically design clothes for UV protection and have a UPF rating. You can give them a try!