Shelia Lewis: Smith County Extension

Many people believe that once winter rolls around, it does not get sunny enough to wear sunscreen. In the winter you may not feel the sun as much, but ultraviolet (UV) rays are still affecting your skin.

These rays are what actually cause damage to your skin. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer, and 90 percent of the cases are related to overexposure to UV rays. Health Specialist, Courtney Schoessow, with Texas Cooperative Extension examines this important health issue. There are two main types of UV rays: UVA and UVB. UVA rays stimulate tanning but also lead to eye problems, aging, skin rashes, and allergic or other reactions to drugs. UVB causes the sunburn that is associated with skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. UVA and UVB are both designated as causes of skin cancer by the National Institutes of Health.

During the summer, many people take precautions when spending time in the sun. Unfortunately, these precautions are often forgotten during the fall and winter. Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays are present from sun rise to sunset every day, all year round. They even present danger in the fall and winter, on cloudy days, and through windows.

On a hazy or winter day, many people do not even think about putting on sunscreen. On these days we should be taking as many precautions as we would on a hot summer day. On cloudy days, UVA rays break through clouds and often reflect off of other objects, causing the harmful rays to reach skin even if one is shaded from the direct sunlight; UV rays bounce off bright surfaces including snow, water, pavement, and sand.

So, will staying indoors protect you from the sun? UVA rays even penetrate through glass. Vehicle windshields, made of special laminated glass, filter out all UVB and most UVA light, but side and rear vehicle windows often do not, according to a research review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Children who ride in the backseat of a vehicle are exposed to these harmful UV rays more than those who have the windshield to help protect them. Wearing sunscreen with at least SPF 15 is a way to guard you and your loved ones from these rays as well. Whether it is a car ride or just simply a play room with large windows, protection from the sun is needed.

There are many ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from UV rays. Placing UV solar screens on windows decreases the amount of UV rays that enter through the windows. Many companies also offer films that you can apply to windows (even car windows) to block UV rays.

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers, accounting for about half of all cancers. Don't let yourself or those you love become the next victim of skin cancer. Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas Cancer Council want you to know how to keep your family safe from UV rays throughout the year. Keep your skin safe by following these helpful tips:

Avoid burning.

Use sunscreen every day with an SPF 15 or higher - even in the winter.

Wear protective clothing.

Stay in the shade during the hottest parts of the day and away from surfaces that will reflect UV rays into the shade. Watch the UV index, which is found at http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html.


"Holiday Easy"

Smith County Extension Education Association will present a recipe and craft program called "Holiday Easy" from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, October 27, at the Smith County Extension Auditorium located at the Smith County Cotton Belt Building, 1517 W. Front St., Tyler. Admission will be $3.00. For more information call (903) 590-2980.



Shelia Lewis is a Smith County Extension agent in family and consumer sciences. She can be reached at sk-lewis@tamu.edu. This column on family and consumer education news appears in the Thursday Community section of the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Shelia Lewis
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