There is a big list of life saving medicine discovered by scientists such as antibiotics, vaccines and so on. But this list doesn’t include sunscreen lotion that not only averts dangerous radiation coming from sun but also prevents the generation of cancerous cells caused by sunlight.
It is necessary to know how sunscreen saves us from dangerous radiation coming from sun, but before that we will try to make out the damage that occur due to sunlight.
Image credit Sunburn
When we expose to sunshine, it changes the color of our skin called sunburn. It happens due to inflammation. The immune system usually response when you have any kind of injury of infection. Due to sunburn, cells intentionally start to destroy themselves to stop the production of cancerous cells, called apoptosis, leading to inflammation.
The effects of solar radiation
Solar radiation emitted by the sun is capable to reach the cells by penetrating the skin and can injure the fragile DNA which is found in the nucleus.
Only ultraviolet radiation can reach inside the cells by penetrating the skin, which resides around the visible light. So you don’t have to worry about all types of radiation that come from the sun.
There are three types of UV light.
- UVA: Even though the energy of UVA is very low, its penetration ability is extremely high.
- UVC: The penetration ability of UVC is very low while it contains the highest energy.
- UVB: It resides in the middle section.
Image credit Save your eyes from UV radiation
Occurrence of sunburn
UVC doesn’t cause sunburn as it is soaked up somewhere in the upper atmosphere and can’t reach the earth. On the contrary, UVB is a dangerous radiation, which can harm DNA since it contains highest penetrating power and energy. UVC can also be perilous, but most of the time it is seen that the color of skin gets brown after exposure to the sun. It occurs just because of the presence of UVC in the sunlight.
There are some special cells in the skin called melanocytes that start to generate melanin, a kind of pigment known as the photoprotective, when your body has exposure to UV radiation. The skin becomes dark or brown just because of melanin. When these cells are smashed, the radiation began to enter skin and then melanocytes, leading to apoptosis. Soon after, old skin will disappear and a new layer of skin will generate.
Image credit Ozone layer filters out ultraviolet rays
How skin cancer occurs
Melanocytes are different from other cell types. They are powerless and can be easily penetrated by cancer cells as they are capable to stop apoptosis process which is necessary to prevent the generation of cancerous cells. In this way, these cells can live for longer time and if it starts to mutate, melanocyte cells can transform into cancerous cells called melanoma. Melanoma is lethal and occurs when it is segregated nonstop. A special type of ugly mole is generated on the surface of the skin.
Benefit of having sunscreen
Fortunately, sunscreen is a wonderful lotion which can help you lessen the risk of sunburn and skin cancer. Sunscreen can be applied as a lotion or in the form of spray or wax. It is composed of two compounds called organic and inorganic that can act physically and chemically to save the inner part of the skin.
Inorganic compounds of sunscreen like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is capable to return the dangerous UVB and UVA radiation to the atmosphere.
Image credit Sunscreen
Organic compounds of sunscreen contain benzophenone and cinnamates which soaked up the energy of the deadly UV radiation and then transform it to heat. Due to lack of white appearance of physical blockers and less durability of chemical blockers, sunscreen needs to be repeated frequently.
Sunscreen can keep your skin secure if it is used appropriately. In addition, you need to keep yourself away from unnecessary sunlight. You should use sunscreen in the interval of two hours when you need to go outside in the sun.
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