The sun is a gigantic ball of fire that emits radiation that can be fatal to all organisms.  Fortunately, planet Earth has enough magnetism to deflect most of the sun’s radiation.  There is also the ozone layer that further filters the solar radiation that eventually falls on plants, animals, and humans.  Yet, the human skin is still not safe when exposed too long under the sun.  And human technology even dared to replicate and produce the sun’s ultraviolet radiation so that people can lie naked in tanning beds with tanning bulbs that artificially produce such harmful radiation.

Overexposure to sunlight or tanning bulbs can lead to blisters, sunburns, eye damage, and eventually skin cancer.  It will be quite easy to avoid tanning bulbs.  You simply avoid using tanning beds and tanning booths.  But how can a person avoid the sun?

Unless a person plans to live in shadows for the rest of his life, he must accept the fact that he will face the sun everyday.  As he does this, he should take measures so that he can minimize whatever damage the sun will inflict on him.

Whenever he plans to conduct outdoor activities, such as picnics, swimming, and marathons, he should make sure that he also avoids the sun’s strongest rays.  Sunlight is strongest when it is directly above the sky.  This is why health professionals advise that a person must avoid the sun between ten o’clock in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon.  A marathon conducted at exactly twelve noon not only plays havoc on the skin, but also causes heat stroke and dehydration.

If going out in the sun is unavoidable during such hours, a person should wear protective clothing.  Protective clothing can somehow reduce the skin’s exposure to sunlight.  Long pants protect the legs.  Long-sleeved shirts protect the arms.  And broad-brimmed hats can protect the face, especially the eyes.  Umbrellas are also effective tools in reducing sun exposure.   If wearing such clothes can hamper a person’s activities (one can’t possibly swim well while wearing pants), one should consider using sunscreens, preferably those with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 or greater.  Sunscreen lotions should be applied thirty minutes before exposure to the sun.  A person may also wear sun glasses that will shield the eyes from ultraviolet radiation.

When one experiences or suspects to have acquired eye or skin damage due to sun exposure, he must consult a doctor or a dermatologist.  An unusual mole, a scaly patch, or a sore that refused to heal should be examined by the dermatologist.  These may be signs of skin cancer.