UV Radiation and Your Skin
As you age, your skin begins to show signs of the wear and tear of time. Much of this aging is caused by UV radiation and how it impacts the layers of your skin.
UV Radiation and Your Skin
UV stands for ultraviolet light. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation produced as part of the light spectrum by the sun. There are three forms of the radiation, known as UVA, UVB and UVC. Of these three, we are most exposed to UVA radiation. The atmosphere of our planet blocks nearly all of the other two spectrums, which is a good thing since UVA is the weakest of the three forms of radiation.
For most people, the dose of ultraviolet light on an average day is actually quite small, but the effects can add up over time. This is particularly true if you actively seek out the sun through sun bathing and such. Over time, UVA radiation acts upon the collagen in the epidermis of your skin. It does not cause a sunburn, but it penetrates deeply into the layers of the skin and causes damage. The damage can include premature aging of the skin, DNA damage that can result in mutations and possible skin cancer. Because of this, it is vital that you use sun block that is oriented to provide protection against UVA. Most sun blocks are tailored to UVB protection, which simply is not enough protection.
The human body has a natural method of protecting itself from the effects of ultraviolet radiation. You probably already know what it is - tanning. When you tan, your skin color turns to a darker brown shade. The body accomplishes this by producing melanin in the skin, the functional cause of the change of color. The more melanin produced, the darker your skin turns and the more protection there is against ultraviolet light penetration.
So, do you want to block all ultraviolet light from your skin? Oddly, the answer is no. The reason has to do with how your body processes ultraviolet. In nominal amounts, the UV light is actually beneficial because the body uses it to produce Vitamin D. Without Vitamin D, you can develop Rickets or other problems with the strength of your bones.
At the end of the day, getting outdoors is a good thing. It is wise, however, to use a sun block that will protect you from ultraviolet radiation.
Green Tea And Pomegranate – How These Topical Antioxidants Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage
It is well-known that chronic exposure to ultraviolet light found in sunlight leads to photoaging. Photoaging of the skin refers to the loss of tone, wrinkling, discoloration, increased redness, and the development of skin cancer, even melanoma. There is good evidence that UV radiation induces the production of reactive oxygen species, otherwise known as oxygen free-radicals, which can overwhelm the skin's natural anti-oxidant defenses. These reactive oxygen species go on to damage proteins, cell membranes, and other macromolecules. The damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA in skin cells can build up over time and become evident as photoaging. The extracellular matrix which contains collagen and elastin also sustains cumulative damage that contributes to photoaging.
Green tea has recently garnered a lot of attention for the antioxidant polyphenols that it contains. Both oral and topical administration of green tea polyphenols in human and mouse experimental models has shown their ability to prevent signs of ultraviolet-induced damage. Green tea has even been shown to inhibit and reverse the formation of skin cancers in mice subjected to ultraviolet photodamage. Topical treatment of human skin with green tea polyphenols has been shown to prevent the DNA damage that leads to skin cancer. Clearly, green tea is a powerful anti-oxidant, and there is good evidence to support its use in the general population to help prevent photoaging and to decrease the risk of skin cancer.
Pomegranate has entered the scene a little more recently but has generated explosive interest. The juice and peels contain powerful antioxidants, anthocyanins, a group of polyphenolic compounds that possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In a comparative analysis, anthocyanins from pomegranate fruit were shown to possess higher antioxidant activity than vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), ascorbic acid, and
Aging Skin Care
Since there are more elderly people living in the world than never before this Aging Skin Care is a topic of interest to many people. Wrinkles on the skin are the visible sign of age. This topic is important to people who want to protect from or slowdown the rate of wrinkle formation. When proteins that are responsible for elasticity of the skin get damaged wrinkles get formed. This protein is known as elastin .
Naturally proteins are subject to damage from UV radiation and free radicals and elastin being one of the proteins can't be an exceptional. A free radical is a word to refer to oxygen molecule that has been split and therefore highly active destroying DNA of cells they come into contact with. This DNA damage can cause skin cancer while damage to the proteins cause the formation of wrinkles. To absorb these free radicals before they reach the skin, antioxidants can be applied on the skin in form of cream. Therefore aging skin care that use antioxidants is suitable.
Taking vitamins C and E, and a compound Alpha Hydroxyl Acid (AHA) will help in slowing down the commencement of wrinkles. Fruit, berries and dark vegetables are rich in antioxidants and it is advisable to take a lot of them as part of aging skin care.
Quitting smoking and avoiding exposure to sun will help to take care of your skin. The sun produces UV radiation that split the oxygen on your skin to radicals while smoke soaks your body in a set of free radicals. Before you stay on the sun make sure you apply sunscreen to protect your skin from the UV radiation. These will help maintain your skin young. For those who have wrinkles use of moisturizers will make them better though the wrinkles will not be eliminated completely.
Prevent Premature Wrinkles by Using Coenzyme Q10 Creams and Other Antioxidants
Premature wrinkles may be caused by illness or disease, but the most common cause is the tanning bed or overexposure natural sunlight. You might like the sun. Many of us do. But, UV rays are not our friends, if we want to look our best, throughout our lives.
Cutis laxa is one of the diseases that cause a prematurely aged appearance. The condition is usually inherited. It is characterized by that that hangs in loose wrinkled folds. In some cases, it is thickened and darker than normal. The joints and internal organs can be affected by the disease, too.
Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome, Progeroid Syndrome, Xeroderma, psoriasis vulgaris and a number of genetic defects cause a prematurely aged appearance. Exposure to the toxins in tobacco smoke, or environmental pollutants causes molecular damage that can eventually result in skin wrinkling at an early age.
But, by far, the most well-known and common cause of early wrinkling is exposure to UV radiation. UVA, UVB and UVC can damage collagen fibers and accelerate skin aging. These ultra-violet rays damage DNA strands in the deepest of the skin's cells, either directly or indirectly.
This does not mean that the use of sunscreen will help prevent premature wrinkles. The SPF ratings of sunscreens indicate their protection against sunburn. UVA radiation does not cause reddening of the skin. So, the effectiveness of a sunscreen against UVA cannot be measured accurately.
In addition to skin aging, exposure to UV radiation increases a person's risk of skin cancer. Studies indicate that there is a higher risk of malignant melanoma, a very serious form of skin cancer, among regular sunscreen users. So, don't trust a sunscreen to protect your face from wrinkling or cancer. Instead wear a hat with a wide brim, use sunglasses and stay in the shade.
Our skin's natural protectors against premature wrinkles include melanin, vitamin A and coenzyme Q10. Melanin is a hormone responsible for the skin's tone. It is what a tan, a freckle and an age spot are composed of. A tan provides protection for the deeper skin layers, but does nothing to improve one's appearance, particularly as time goes by.
A tan does not protect against skin cancer, either. In fact, studies have shown that women who visit tanning salons on a monthly basis are 55% more likely to develop melanoma than women who don't. It may be that the intensity of the UV rays in the tanning bed is responsible for the increased risk. But, regardless, there is no such thing as a healthy tan.
Vitamin A and coenzyme Q10 help protect against premature wrinkles, because of their antioxidant activity. They prevent the molecular damage that causes wrinkling and other signs of aging. This same kind of molecular damage is also the cause of cancer.
Vitamin A creams are sometimes prescribed to reverse wrinkling. Coenzyme Q10 creams are available over the counter and studies have shown that they reverse premature wrinkles by 30% if used on a daily basis for three months. So, if you have the problem, stay out of the sun and try an anti-aging lotion. You could be pleased with the results.