While catching rays may temporarily help dry up oiliness, the short-term benefit isn't worth it. Sun exposure increases the size of the oil-producing glands in your skin and can make your pores appear larger, and it can actually increase blackheads over time. Unprotected tanning also leads to premature ageing and puts you at an increased risk of skin cancer. If you're using any prescription acne medications (including oral contraceptives, which are often prescribed to help clear up acne), it's especially important to stay out of the sun and away from tanning beds. These drugs can make your skin extremely sensitive to sunlight and the rays from tanning booths.
While we're on the subject of the sun, there's so much confusing information out there. Is the sun good? Bad? How much do you need? And should you completely shun the sun? Like chocolate and most other yummy things in life, a little bit is good, but too much of it can blow your beauty big time. Having sun-kissed skin makes us feel healthier. And almost two-thirds of teens think they look better with a tan.
We absolutely need sunshine to stay healthy, to make vitamin D (which builds strong bones and boosts our immune system), to get a good night's sleep and to feel good. But too much sun is the worst destroyer and ager of skin that you're likely to encounter. In your teenage years, you probably don't give much thought to wrinkles: they happen to older people. But it takes twenty to thirty years for sun damage to appear, so the damage you do now won't show up until your mid-thirties or forties. And this is when you will seriously regret all that excessive soaking up of the sun.
Still not convinced? Have you seen a wrinkled bum? Probably not, because most bums rarely see the light of day! Most are still soft and baby-smooth. So, hold on, does that mean we need to completely shun the sun? There are a number of researchers, including Dr Michael F. Holick, a professor of medicine and dermatology from a prestigious university in the US, who believe that small amounts of sun exposure have powerful health benefits. While too much sun causes wrinkles and raises other health concerns, Dr Holick has shown that a lack of proper sun exposure can cause serious health problems. How come? Well, we absolutely need vitamin D to stay healthy and the sun is our main source - it provides about 75 per cent. Vitamin D is generated by the skin's exposure to the sun's UVB rays.
What's so important about vitamin D? Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, and without it you could develop a condition known as rickets, which makes your bones as bendy as Barbie's. Vitamin D also plays a vital role in your immune system. Research has found that low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of almost every single cancer there is, from breast cancer to colon cancer.
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