SUNBURN & USAGE OF SUNCREEN PRODUCTS

What is it?

Sunburn is the inflammation of the skin and/or of the tissues lying just underneath the skin, caused by an over-exposure to the ultraviolet ray-component of the sunlight. Sunburn is a problem throughout the year in Thailand, even if it does (yet) not belong to that part of the world where the problem is aggravated by "holes" in the ozone layer surrounding the earth. Repeated sunburns and regular exposure to strong ultraviolet radiation will destroy the elastic tissue in the skin and make it look prematurely old and wrinkled. Long-term exposure to strong sun can also cause so-called solar keratosis and will increase the risk of getting skin cancer.

How to prevent sunburn?

  1. Avoid exposure to the sun. Teach your children to stay out of the sun.

  2. If you have to expose yourself to the sun for a prolonged period of time, wear long sleeve shirts and trousers, put on a rimmed hat or use an umbrella and put on sunglasses. Consider using a sunscreen cream or lotion. In daily preventive use, apply the sunscreen product 20-30 minutes before leaving home; apply soothing creams after unusual exposure.

  3. If you have to sunbath, do it sensibly. Avoid exposure in the period between 10.00 - 15.00 hrs. On the first day spend only 20 to 30 minutes in the sun. Increase this exposure by 30 minutes a day until you are getting tanned, a process which usually takes four to five days. Usage of a sunscreen cream or lotion is a necessity. Note that when swimming you have to regularly re-apply the sunscreen.

How to select your sunscreen cream/lotion?
  1. Buy a broadband spectrum cream / lotion protecting from both the so-called UV-A and UV-B rays. ( If you select an UV-A sunscreen lotion, select a product containing either Zinc Oxide, Avobenzone or Benzophenone).

  2. Use a water resistance sunscreen product when you go swimming.

  3. Select a sunscreen lotion with an appropriate Sun Protection Factor (SPF) i.e.:
  • A sunscreen with an SPF 15 when you work inside an office.
  • A sunscreen with an SPF of 20-30 when you are working outside and stay in the sun for many hours.
  • A sunscreen with an SPF 30 or over (i.e. a real sunblock ) if you are suffering from such diseases as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or Polymorphous Light Eruption.
Note that for an adult or a child with sensitive skin, it is advisable to apply a physical sunscreen lotion because it is safer and it has less side effects. (A physical sunscreen lotion contains Titanuim Dioxide which will make skin look whiter after applying.)