Sun Protection
It’s official; summer has come to an end, and we have entered autumn – the nights are getting a little darker, the mornings are getting a little colder, and the leaves are starting to change colour. But don’t be fooled and think that just because the warm days of summer are behind us that your sun protection routine can come to an end for another year.
More than 90% of all skin cancers are associated with the sun and the ultraviolet rays it emits. Just because it feels colder when you’re outside during autumn, this doesn’t mean that the sun’s rays are any weaker or safer. To keep your skin looking young and feeling healthy, you should be protecting yourself from the sun all year round.
One thing that will change in autumn is the amount of skin we have on show. During the hotter days of summer, we would be more inclined to wear shorts, skirts, t-shirts and vests, exposing much more of our skin to the sun. As we enter autumn and the temperatures drop, however, people will start opting for long trousers and long sleeves. Despite this, certain high-risk areas will remain uncovered all year round, such as our face and neck.
Try to maintain a good skin care routine and make sure you still apply sun protection on these areas. If you use a moisturiser on a daily basis, make sure it has an SPF of at least 15 – the same applies to any lip balm you may use. You need to remember to reapply this protection regularly, as the colder weather has a tendency to dry out your skin, stripping the moisture from it.
Many people long for sun-kissed, summer skin all year round, and during autumn may turn to sunbeds to achieve this. Sunbeds are a leading cause of skin cancer, however, so if you want to achieve this look all year round, fake tan is a much safer option.
At the Harley Street Dermatology Clinic, we have a long history of helping clients with a wide range of different skin conditions. From freckles to the most serious of skin cancers we are there to provide advice and offer support and treatment.
