| By :
Eddie Prentice
On one hand, getting sun can be revitalizing and therapeutic, on another it can cause discomfort and illness. It can make us bronzed and beautiful or bumped and bruised. Sadly research indicates that the pros of basking in the sun are far outweighed by the cons. So find yourself a shaded structure to sit beneath and grab some lotion because it's going to be a hot summer. 1.Thickening and thinning of the skin Solar elastosis is the thickening of the skin and causes wrinkling, coarseness, and yellow discolouration. Thinning of the skin can cause fine wrinkles, easy bruising, and skin tearing. 2.Changes in blood vessels UV radiation causes the blood vessel walls to thin and can lead to bursting. It can also cause telangiectasias, which is the appearance of tiny blood vessels, usually seen in the face. 3.Pigment changes Too much exposure to the sun can cause white spots and light skinned people to freckle. Watch out! Excessive sun exposure in someone's teens might only result in sun spots when they're in their fifties! 4.Skin bumps Sun exposure can cause pre-cancerous lesions which are often seen on the face, ears, and back of the hands. UV exposure also causes seborrheic keratoses, which look like warts and are stuck to the skin. These legions however do not become cancerous. 5.Skin cancer The three main skin cancers caused by the sun are melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is one of the most common cancers amongst 15-29 year olds. It is the most serious form of skin cancer. 6.Aging 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging come from exposure to the sun. UV radiation damages collagen and causes it to break down at a rapid rate. It also causes abnormal elastin to accumulate and produce a large amount of metalloproteinases enzymes, which cause wrinkles. 7.Immune system effects When the skin is exposed to sunlight certain chemicals are released that weaken our immune system and make it harder for us to fight off diseases. 8.Eye damage Cataracts are an example of a serious reaction to the sun and its UV rays. They cause blurriness and if left untreated, can lead to blindness. Snow blindness, another form of eye damage caused by the sun, is when the surface of the eye is burnt. So, if a painful burn isn't enough to keep you in the shade, hopefully this article will be.
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