Protecting yourself from the ultraviolet rays is more than essential. Failure to do so can lead to an assortment of skin ailments. And one of the best ways to avoid the premature emergence of wrinkles, deep lines on your skin and sun related cancers is to avoid cumulative sun damage.The sun emits three kinds of UV rays. Two types of those UV rays can penetrate the ozone layer and can mess up with the functions of your integumentary system. You can avoid up to 80% of wrinkles by simply avoiding sun damage. UVA rays are the most common rays emitted by the sun. In fact 95% of the rays of the sun that penetrate the ozone layer are UVA. These are the primary culprits of dermis aging. They usually penetrate into the lower dermis layers. They stress out skin cells and damage dermis tissues. UVB rays, on the other hand, are not too abundant. The amount of UVB rays can increase during summer or at noon time. Unlike UVA, these rays cannot penetrate glass. Although UVB rays are used for the production of Vitamin D, excessive exposure to these rays can increase your susceptibility to skin cancer.

1. Apply sun block 30 minutes before going outdoors. Make sure you are using a product with both UVA and UVB protection. SPF products only contain UVB protection.
2. Don’t skimp out on the sunscreen. Use at least a full ounce of sunscreen to cover the entire body.
3. Make it a habit. Wearing sunscreen should be part of your of your daily routine.
4. Apply and re-apply. Sunscreen loses its efficacy throughout the day, it must be reapplied every two to four hours.
5. Cover up. Use clothing, hats, and sunglasses to help protect your skin. If you are also planning on spending a good amount of time outdoors, seek out some shade.

One common misconception is that the sun needs to be very hot to cause damaging effects, but this is quite untrue. Cloudly days and cold wintery days can also be harmful to the skin. Clouds do not stop the harmful UV rays from reaching the skin and damaging it and the sun can also have strong harmful rays in the winter. It is important to protect your skin and take care from the suns damaging effects throughout the year.

For more articles go to http://lifesportfitness.lifestyleezine.com