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Sun Awareness Clinics

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Sun Awareness Clinics

Almost everyone loves the sunshine. Bright, sunny weather elevates the spirits and draws us away from mundane tasks: to spend time on the beach, on the water, in our own backyards, or elsewhere in the Great Outdoors.

It is hard to believe that sunshine can be damaging to our outward appearance and inner health, but it can. Ultraviolet (UV) light causes wrinkling and sagging of the skin, raised lesions known as keratoses and age spots. More frighteningly, it can cause skin cancers, including the kind known as melanoma. This form of cancer spreads rapidly and is one of the deadliest forms. Other types of skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), while not so dangerous, can still cause disfigurement. Left untreated, all forms of skin cancer can lead to death.

UV radiation can also cause damage to the eyes, including cataracts - one of the leading causes of blindness.

Even a small amount of sunshine can suppress the immune system, encouraging herpes outbreaks, worsening lupus and increasing susceptibility to cancers other than skin cancer.

Sun Awareness Clinics
Now you can see for yourself how the sun may have affected your skin, by attending a London Drugs Sun Awareness Clinic.

During your consultation, you will have your photograph taken by a special UV camera. The camera shows areas of sun-related changes attributable to UV light. Our pharmacist will provide you with detailed information about the damaging effects of the sun, how to protect yourself from sun damage and the risk factors for skin cancer. The pharmacist will also assess if any medications or nutritional supplements that you are taking may cause your skin to become more sensitive to sunlight. Included in the nominal fee charged for participating in the clinic is a package of materials that includes a UV index card to help you monitor your exposure to harmful UV rays.

How the Sun Affects Your Skin
Sunlight has a profoundly detrimental effect on the skin. This damage is cumulative, meaning the skin reflects a lifetime of sun damage. (To view this, just compare an area of sun-exposed skin such as the neck or the back of the hands with an area that has received very little sun, such as the derrière. The unexposed skin will likely be smoother, free of discolouration and wrinkling, and generally appear younger.)

Two lengths of UV light reach the surface of the Earth - and us. These are UVA and UVB light.

UVA light - once believed to be harmless - is a major contributor to skin damage. UVA penetrates deeply into the skin and is not filtered out by glass. (Your skin can be damaged simply by sitting next to a window day after day.) The intensity of UVA radiation does not vary throughout the day or year in the way that UVB radiation varies.

UVB light affects the outer layer of the skin, or epidermis, and is the wavelength responsible for sunburn. It is most intense between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., when the sunlight is brightest. UVB light is also more intense in the summer months, accounting for 70 percent of the average person’s annual accumulation of UVB.

Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher will ensure your skin is well-protected from the sun.

To find a Sun Awareness Clinic near you click here.

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