To see how a lifetime of sun exposure ages the skin, compare an elderly person’s neck and hips. The neck gets year-round sunlight, and by old age its skin is wrinkled, blotchy, and loose. But the skin on the hips–usually covered by clothes–is smoother, more even, more supple. The aging on the hips is natural; the aging on the neck is premature and preventable. We can shield our skin from the sun’s damaging rays by wearing a sunscreen, blocking the sun with clothing, and avoiding sunlight. Each tactic has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Sunscreens
Sunscreens form a chemical or physical barrier to prevent sunlight from harming the skin. Their value has been proven by research. By applying a sunscreen, a person can go out at any time of the day, pursue any activity, and still be protected. No hot or confining layers of clothing or cumbersome umbrellas are needed.
Even with these advantages, sunscreens have limitations. A common complaint is that to stay effective, sunscreens must be put on often. Users may forget to reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating, thus leaving themselves open to skin damage. Another problem is with the feel of the sunscreen on the skin. Greasy, chalky, and heavy are a few of the ways people describe it. Physical sunscreens contain tiny particles of zinc or titanium and can leave a white, ghost-like film on the skin. Chemical sunscreens can cause irritation, and there is debate over the safety of some ingredients. What’s more, many sunscreens are formulated mainly to block the burning ultraviolet B (UVB) light, but only weakly hinder the deeper penetrating, aging ultraviolet A (UVA) light.
Protective Clothing
Around the world men and women wear clothes and use accessories to shield themselves from the sun. Many countries have fallen away from this custom, but as recently as the Victorian era, women wore gloves and hats and carried parasols to keep a beautiful complexion. Interest is rekindling in protecting the skin with clothing; this time around, tightly woven high-tech fabrics, sometimes treated with a sun block, are featured. Some items, for example, swim shirts, match an active outdoor lifestyle.
Despite the benefits, many people resist covering up. The high-tech clothing is usually pricy, and street clothing can be out of place or prohibited in swimming areas. Protective options are not necessarily stylish, and wearing long sleeves and pants in the sun can feel hot. Hats can fall off during sports and chores; men seem to prefer baseball caps, but caps don’t protect the ears or neck. Hats are banned in some schools, leaving kids exposed during outdoor recess, lunches, and classes. And even when worn, hats usually don’t protect the lower face and neck.
Sun Avoidance
Staying out of the sun is the ultimate anti-aging strategy. It costs nothing. No potentially harmful chemicals come into contact with the skin. No telltale white film mars the complexion. The skin can breathe and cool off, free of heavy lotions and clothes. There is no need to study up on sunscreen ingredients and clothing ratings if we just steer clear of the sun.
But sun avoidance has its share of drawbacks. Staying out of the sun entirely is impractical if not impossible. Some business meetings, civic duties, and medical appointments call for daytime attendance. Participating in many sports would be out of the question. A stigma also comes with sleeping in the daytime unless a person works at night. A greater problem is a potential deficiency of Vitamin D. This condition is a real possibility for people who get less than 15 minutes of sunlight a day (depending on skin color, season of year, amount of clothing worn, and latitude). Exposure to the sun is the main way people get Vitamin D, a key nutrient that reduces the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, as well as other diseases.
Sunscreen, clothing, or avoidance: What’s the best defense against photo-aging? While we’re lucky to have so much information, it can sometimes overwhelm us. It’s tempting just to ignore the threat of sun damage and hope for the best. Of course, that way of life would eventually catch up with us. A more reasonable approach involves reducing sun exposure to essential activities and to those that truly add enjoyment to life. During these activities, defend the skin with a broad-spectrum sunblock and well-chosen clothing and accessories. With a good strategy and consistency we can succeed in slowing photo-aging. In that way, when we’ve reached a wise old age, we won’t have to have mismatched body parts.