Your skin is the mirror to your health and wellbeing. Radiant skin with an even tone is a pleasure to behold. It tells the world that your health is in fine fettle, and that you take the effort to maintain its health. Meanwhile, dull skin with acne, spots, fine lines and patches tells the story of poor internal health and neglect. Which story do you want your skin to tell?

If you choose the former, then the first thing to do is to safeguard the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight. You are aware that some amount of sun exposure in the early morning hours is essential to help produce Vitamin D for the body. However, exposure to sunlight post 9 am and up to the early evening hours is bad for the skin. It results in – often irreversible – sun damage that ages the skin much faster, and creates many problems from excessive oiliness to darkened skin. However, you can buy sun screen in Dubai as a first step in protecting the skin from harmful sunlight.

What does ‘sun damage’ mean?

Quite simply, ‘sun damage’ is the negative impact that sunlight has on the skin. The UV rays in sunlight can damage the skin in several ways. Some of the most common forms of sun damage result in:

• Accelerated skin aging
• Tanning
• Melasma
• Rashes, boils and burns
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Age spots
• Pigmentation
• Excessive oiliness
• Dullness

Harsh sunlight can sometimes cause more severe conditions like skin cancer. In short, it is never wise to allow your skin to be exposed directly to the sunlight, especially in a city like Dubai which has sunshine with a high heat component. It damages the skin by causing the skin cells to die out faster, and not be able to repair and restore themselves as needed. If not arrested on time, sun damage to the skin can be irreversible.

How to arrest sun damage

There are a few ways to prevent the harsh sunlight from damaging your skin forever. Try these measures:

• Never leave the house or go outdoors without slathering sunscreen lotion on your skin. Use a lotion with an SPF of 30 or above (SPF 50 is best). Reapply the lotion every three hours. You can buy sunscreen online from Dubai’s leading skin care clinics or e-commerce platforms. Ask your dermatologist about the best one, in keeping with your skin’s texture and problems. Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat when you are outdoors, and long sleeved clothing to keep the skin protected from direct sunlight.
• Drink a lot of water every day, to keep the skin hydrated and protected from the effects of the sunlight. Sun damage to the skin begins with lack of hydration, and the skin’s tissues become dry. Fine lines and wrinkles begin from this stage.
• Eat food rich in water, and also vitamins, protein and minerals. All of them collectively build the skin and spur the process of creating collagen, which is the building block for skin. A healthy proportion of collagen ensures that the skin’s tissues remain plump and soft. The skin is able to stave off the effects of sunlight, aging, pollution and stress much better with a good diet.
• If you suffer from heat rash, tanning, boils or other sun damage factors, your dermatologist will recommend a range of skin care products for you. These broadly comprise moisturisers and sunscreen lotions, apart from cleansers and toners. Look to buy sunscreen online or get one from a skin care clinic in the city, based on your doctor’s recommendations. You can try a daily use sunscreen or daily use moisturising sunscreen, as also a light water-based variant (it won’t make your skin feel hot and caked up), or one for sensitive skin, or even one that is sweat-resistant.
• Get at least seven hours of good quality sleep every night. The skin repairs and restores itself while you sleep, and it is able to combat the effects of sun damage much better. Once you are up in the morning, follow a cleansing-moisturising-toning routine.

The tips above will help you protect your skin from harmful sun damage for many years to come.