by ANDREA FRENCH Section Editor
It is no secret that excess sun exposure has been known to cause wrinkles, as well as skin cancer, along with many other diseases, but now studies are showing that the use of sunscreen will not only lessen your chances of getting diseases, it will also have anti-aging benefits.
Encouraging people to wear sunscreen has always been a concern because too much sun, along with tanning beds, have brought about a lot of serious illness such as cancer, but it is still not enough to push people into seriously and regularly using sunscreen. Therefore, researchers have found that maybe if they tell people that it will have a positive affect on their skin, it may encourage use, especially because years of sun exposure are supposed to cause wrinkles and negative aging affects over time.
In Australia, an experiment was conducted where a group of people used sunscreen only when they were going to be in the sun, another group used sunscreen everyday for 4 and a 1/2 years, and the final group never used sunscreen. The group who used sunscreen everyday showed 24 percent less skin aging than those who used sunscreen only when in the sun. Obviously, the group who did not ever use sunscreen showed the most signs of aging.
“I will definitely reconsider putting on sunscreen when my mom asks to apply or re-apply. I always thought once the damage was done there was no reversing it. But now that I know that I can prevent my skin from aging, as when as making it look younger, I will be using sunscreens all year long,” says sophomore Cori Haider.
It is not too late to benefit from these positive anti-aging affects. People who were middle-aged and young adults all experienced the same anti-aging benefits.
A human’s skin contains fibers that stretch and recoil all the time. The harmful UV rays in the sun damage the elasticity of these fibers and that is why extended sun exposure can cause the sagging, or aging, of skin. The fine lines that are barely visible in young people become more noticeable as we get older, and the damage to the fibers in the skin can cause the outermost layer to droop and wrinkle.
In addition to the anti-again benefits, sunscreen will indefinitely help you in the fight against skin cancer, and other related sun exposure diseases. Dermatologists have been trying for years to encourage people to apply sunscreen year round, especially to those body parts that are constantly exposed, such as the hands, neck and face.
“I can definitely notice that in the summer time I get more and more freckles and birth marks on my body from the sun. I know that the sun has these negative affects on my skin that will eventually catch up to me. This summer I plan to be more diligent and thorough when applying sunscreen,” says junior Mike Seppi.
According to dermatologists, any amount of sun exposure a day, whether it be 15 minutes or 5 hours, still adds up over periods of time, and it can and will have negative aging affects on your skin.