Sun care

Why should you protect yourself against the sun?>

The sun gives off a range of light rays composed of different elements: cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays (UV) (comprising UVA, UVB and UVC rays), visible rays, infrared rays (IR) and radio waves.

After being filtered by the atmosphere, two-thirds of these rays reach the earth. Cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays and UVC rays, incompatible with life, do not reach the surface of the earth. Among the rays that reach us, only the UVA, UVB, visible and infrared rays have an effect on our bodies.

These rays do have beneficial effects: UVB rays help us to produce vitamin D, essential for fixing calcium in the bones, visible light has an antidepressant effect and infrared rays have a heating action which leads to a rise in skin temperature (an alarm signal to help us avoid sunburn).

However, in the event of overexposure to the sun, the UVA and UVB rays can be particularly damaging. In the short term, they can cause sunburn and trigger photosensitisation reactions (pathological skin symptoms linked to the interaction in the skin of an external agent and the sun). Over longer periods, UVA and UVB rays are responsible for cutaneous ageing and especially for the emergence of skin cancer.

Conclusion: it is dangerous to overdo exposure to the sun!