Mindful Mondays: What is sun safety?

With summer in full swing, it's seems necessary to talk about sun safety- after all it is a part of your over all health!

Did you know you should be protected against UV rays all year round, not just in the summer? Reflections from snow, water, sand and even concrete can effect the amount of UV rays exposure. This is why it is suggested to wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy.

But what is UV rays?
UV stands for ultraviolet radiation and it comes from natural sources like the sun and artificial sources like black lights, tanning equipment, lasers, and welding equipment.

The general rule is that the shorter the UV wavelength, the more harmful the UV radiation. However, shorter wavelengths are less able to penetrate the skin. UV rays can actually be divided into 3 subcategories of wavelength ranges (and these wavelength ranges can be found on some sunscreen bottles)

1. UVA: a long range UV radiation that can penetrate deep in our skin. It can cause immediate tanning and premature skin aging and plays a role in the development of certain skin cancers. About 95% of these rays get through our ozone layer because it is not readily absorbed.
2. UVB: a short-wave UV radiation that can penetrate the outer protective layer of the skin and is responsible for delayed tanning, sunburns, and most skin cancers. A large amount of the UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer- so only 5% reaches the planets surface. 
3. UVC: the shortest of UV wave lengths. It is considered very energetic and is very dangerous to all forms of life, even with short exposure. UVC radiation is filtered out by our ozone layer thankfully and never reaches the earth. It is artificially created to kill bacteria ( it is also an IMPORTANT reason to protect our ozone). 

80% of the sun's rays can get through cloud, mist, and fog! So you should really be wearing sun screen everyday! 

There are some factors that affect that UV levels. 

• Time of day: UV radiation reaches its peak between 12-1pm across Canada. In general the UV Index in Canada can be 3 or higher from 11 am to 3 pm.
• Season: UV intensity is highest during the spring and summer months but it can still affect your skin and eyes in the fall and winter
• Ozone layer thickness: as our ozone thickness decreases, UV radiation intensity increases. 
• Weather conditions: Clouds that are dark and full of water can absorb 80% of the radiation but thin, high clouds do not absorb much of the radiation. Scattered clouds can actually increase the amount of UV radiation at the surface of the earth because of the reflection. 

Did you know Canada was the first country in the world to issue daily UV index forecasts for major cities? 

• 0-2 is considered low so minimal sun protection is required. If outside for more than one hours it is then recommended to wear sunglasses and sunscreen. 
• 3-5 is considered moderate so take precautions. Cover up, wear a hat, wear sunglasses and sunscreen labelled broad spectrum with an SPF of at least 30 (we will go over sun screens in our next post), even out for only 30 minutes. 
• 6-7 is considered high so protection is required. Reduce time in the sun between 11 am to 3 pm. Seek shade, cover up, wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
• 8-10 is very high so extra protection is required. Unprotected skin will be damaged and can burn quickly. Avoid the sun between 11 am to 3 pm.
• 11 + is extreme and max. protection is required. Your skin can burn in minutes.

Stay tuned to learn more this week as we talk about sun safety!

Resources:
Health Canada