Sunbathing safely

The sun's rays usually make you feel cheerful. On a sunny day you may feel less tired and irritable.

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Vitamin D

The sun also helps your skin produce vitamin D , which is important for strengthening your bones, cell growth, immune system, hormone balance and nervous system.

Fifteen to thirty minutes of sunlight on your hands, arms and face every day are sufficient to get the necessary dose of vitamin D. Your skin becomes thicker. In addition, it produces pigment that filters the sunlight a bit and gives you a tan. However, this brown color does not protect you against sunburn.

Sunlight can also have a beneficial effect on some skin conditions (e.g. psoriasis).

Sun rays and UV index

Sunlight consists of infrared rays, visible light and three types of ultraviolet rays.

Infrared rays cause the skin to heat up. They can lead to a heated feeling and sunstroke.
UVA rays cause a rapid but short-lived tanning of the skin, are responsible for premature skin aging and can cause skin cancer.
UVB rays provide a slow but long-lasting tan. They can cause sunburn and play a role in the development of skin cancer.
UVC rays are very harmful, but are blocked by the ozone layer and do not reach the skin.

UV index

During the summer months, the RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute) mentions the expected UV index (or sun strength) in the weather report. That is the predicted amount of UV radiation that will reach the Earth's surface. The values are displayed in the same way internationally.

In Belgium, the UV index usually remains below six, but it can be higher on the beach or in the mountains. The higher the UV index, the more intense the radiation .

UV index	UV intensity	Burning of the skin	Enjoy safely of the sun
1-2	Low	Hardly	You can stay outside safely.
3-5	Mediocre	Slowly	Seek shade during the afternoon hours. Remember sunscreen, T-shirt and hat.
6-7	High	Fast
8-10	Very high	Fast	Don't go out during the afternoon hours. Be sure to stay in the shade. Sunscreen, T-shirt and hat are required.
11+	Extreme	Very fast

The strength of UV radiation is influenced by the position of the sun, the thickness of the ozone layer, cloud cover, dust particles, the reflectivity of the environment, the altitude at which you are and the distance to the equator.

Extra information

The amount of UV radiation depends on the height of the sun, not on the temperature. So you can burn just as easily on a cool, clear summer day as on a scorching hot day.
Clouds partially block UV radiation. The more cloud there is, the less UV light can reach the earth. However, clouds also reflect sunlight, so you can get sunburned even when the sky is cloudy.
The sun's rays reflect in the environment so that you are not completely 'safe' even in the shade or under a parasol.
Water also allows the sun's rays to pass through. Because you are constantly cooled by the flowing water, you do not feel like you are burning.

Skin types

Not everyone reacts the same to the sun's rays. How quickly you burn depends, among other things, on your skin type. Anyone with pale skin needs to take more precautions than someone with dark skin.

Skin type	Time in sun without protection	Burning experience	Tanning	Common appearance features
1	5-10 mins	Always burns	Does not tan	Very light skin, often freckles, reddish or light blond hair, light eyes
2	10-20 mins	Burns quickly	Very difficult to tan	Light skin, blond hair, light eyes (gray, green, blue)
3	20-30 mins	Burns less quickly	Tans easily	Light skin, dark blonde to brown hair, often dark eyes
4	30-45 mins	Almost never burns	Tans very well	Tanned skin, dark hair and eyes
5	Rarely burns		Tans intensively	Dark skin
6	Never burns			Very dark or black skin

The speed at which you burn depends on your skin type, the time you stay in the sun and which protective factors you use.

Your skin type and the UV index (or sun strength) determine how long you can stay unprotected in the sun without burning. Always use a sunscreen for protection.

Skin protection

The UV rays have a negative effect on the skin. To prevent all kinds of complaints, it is best to protect yourself against the sun as best as possible.

Protection against the sun is extremely important, especially for children. Sunburn in childhood causes damage to the DNA and increases the risk of skin cancer. Burning once as a child already increases the risk.

Tips

Gently let your skin get used to the sun. Do not stay in the sun for too long, use sufficient sun product with a high protection factor and apply sufficient sunscreen.
Avoid outdoor activities when the sun is at its brightest (between 12 noon and 3 p.m.), especially on days when the UV index is three or more. Also seek shade more often during the rest of the day.
Apply a sun product with a sufficiently high protection factor every two hours and in sufficient quantities, also before swimming and certainly after swimming or when sweating a lot. Even with sun protection, it is best not to stay in the sun for too long.
Drink enough water. When you sweat, you lose a lot of fluid.
Apply a lip balm for the sun on your lips.
Wear protective clothing. Try to wear long pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt more often.
Put on a wide-brimmed hat or cap that will keep the sun out of your face and also protect your ears and neck.
Choose sunglasses with UV protection.
When you get out of the water, dry off immediately. Water droplets on the skin have a lens effect, which promotes sunburn. Apply again immediately afterwards.
Have you spent a long time in the sun? Then take a lukewarm bath or shower and then apply a good after-sun product .

Which sun products and how to use them?

Choose a cream, gel, lotion, oil or milk according to your personal preference. They all protect equally well.
Buy products with both a UVA and UVB filter. Use them to protect the skin and not to stay in the sun longer.
Use products with a high protection factor. The higher the number, the better the protection. A high protection factor prevents redness and burning, but does not prevent tanning. Internationally, the term SPF or Sun Protection Factor is now used. More information can be found at www.veiligindezon.be.
Be wary of products with labels such as 'sun block' or 'total protection'. Such products can never provide complete protection.

Tips for proper use

Preferably apply it half an hour before going out into the sun and repeat every two hours. Don't forget less obvious spots such as your ears, the bottom of your feet, the back of your knees and your nose.
Use sufficient sunscreen for any outdoor activity such as walking, cycling, playing tennis or working in the garden. To protect the body of an adult, approximately 35 grams or six teaspoons are needed. When playing on the beach, swimming in the sea or an open-air swimming pool or if you perspire a lot, a water-resistant sunscreen product is needed.
Continue to protect yourself even if you already have a tan. Brown skin offers only very limited protection.

What to wear on sunny days?

UV radiation is partially reflected, absorbed or transmitted by textiles.

In some items of clothing, a label states the UPF or Ultraviolet Protection Factor. This indicates the protection of the garment against UV radiation. The texture and thickness determine the UPF.

The same standard is not used everywhere in the world. According to European standards, a garment with a UPF higher than 30 is 'UV protective clothing', material with a UPF higher than 40 is 'UV-impermeable'.

The more densely woven a fabric is, the better it protects. Polyester protects better than cotton. Garments that have been impregnated at the factory with photoprotective products also provide better protection. Garments that meet the European standard for photo protective clothing contain the code EN 13758-2 40+.
The type of material is not the most important factor for UV protection, but it often determines the wearing comfort.
Dark clothing offers better UV protection than white, but also absorbs more infrared radiation and visible light. She becomes warmer and is therefore less comfortable in the sun.
New clothing often provides less protection than clothing that has already been washed a few times. This certainly applies to cotton.
Wet clothing allows UV rays to pass through more easily and therefore offers less protection than dry clothing. For example, wet cotton allows 80 to 90 percent of the rays to pass through.

Which sunglasses?

The sun can be dangerous for your eyes. Burning can cause the cornea to become inflamed.

But the sun can also be harmful in the longer term. Until the age of 30, the lens cannot fully protect the retina against the harmful effects of UV. You must therefore provide extra protection for children's eyes. The sun can accelerate the development of cataracts. This affects the lens, causing your vision to become blurred.

Good sunglasses are indispensable to prevent your eyes from being damaged. It not only protects against glare but also filters as many UV rays as possible.

Buy glasses with a European quality label. The CE designation followed by a number indicates the percentage of UV rays filtered by the sunglasses. CE2 stands for moderate sun at our latitude, CE3 for strong sun and CE4 for exceptionally strong sunlight (e.g. in the mountains, in snow, on a glacier or by the sea).
Provide glasses with side protection in an 'extreme' environment such as in the mountains and on the water.
If you wear glasses, opt for a UV-resistant coating.
Don't buy gadget glasses. They have colored plastic lenses and offer no protection against UV rays.
Choose gray, brown or gray-green lenses. These shades do not change the perception of colors. The color of glasses reduces visible light and protects against brightness, but does not block UV rays.

Protection for babies and toddlers

The better you protect children from the sun, the more 'solar capital' they will have and the smaller the chance that their skin will be damaged by the sun later in life.

Dermatologists recommend that children under one year of age should not be exposed directly to the sun. So always place them in the shade and use a decent parasol on the stroller that is sufficiently tightly woven and does not let in too much direct sunlight.

Children from one to three years old are allowed to be in the sun with bare arms and legs, but only for short periods and not between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun shines brightest. The parts of the body that come into direct contact with the sun must be rubbed with a sun product with a (very) high protection factor (at least protection factor 30, but better still protection factor 50).

Practical tips on protecting children's skin can be found at www.cm.be/skoebidoe.

Excess is harmful

Everyone has a certain number of hours they can spend in the sun during their lifetime. The better you protect children from the sun, the more 'solar capital' they will have and the smaller the chance that their skin will be damaged by the sun later in life.

Under the influence of UV radiation, the skin loses elasticity and ages faster (pigmentation spots, wrinkles and leathery, dry skin). The skin becomes more sensitive to itching and becomes less smooth. The more you stayed in the sun since childhood, the more visible wrinkles you get.

Staying unprotected and/or in the sun for too long increases the risk of unpleasant and sometimes serious consequences in the short and long term. In addition to dehydration, sun allergy and worsening of certain skin conditions, you can also suffer from sunburn, sunstroke, heat stroke, skin cancer, corneal inflammation and cataracts.

Tanning bed

Tanning beds use UVA, UVB and infrared rays .

The UVA rays cause a short-term tanning of the skin. Unfortunately, UVA rays accelerate the aging process and, like UVB rays, cause skin cancer. Those who regularly use the tanning bed have a 20 percent increased risk of skin cancer. If you are younger than 35, this chance is even 75 percent.

Sunbeds are therefore strongly discouraged because they are always carcinogenic. There is no safe threshold. There is little point in pre-tanning on a tanning bed, as it hardly reduces the risk of sunburn.

Using the tanning bed to boost your vitamin D is unwise and dangerous. You get vitamin D from your diet and by spending a short time in the sun. Vitamin D supplements are only useful in young children and in certain circumstances. Consult your doctor about this.

Never allow children and young people under the age of 18 to use the sunbed.

Bad combinations

Some medicines can lead to allergic reactions in combination with sunlight. Ask your doctor for advice and read the package leaflet.
Mosquito bite products, perfume or other cosmetics can cause allergic reactions under the influence of the sun.
Smoking increases the skin's sensitivity to sun rays. You burn faster and more intensely when you smoke. Skin aging also occurs faster by using a sunbed or by combining smoking and sunbathing.
Sun and alcohol do not tolerate each other well. If you go sunbathing, it is better not to drink alcohol. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, which can worsen sunburn.
Sunlight on a recent scar can cause the scar to turn dark brown. You can prevent this by staying out of the sun for at least six months. If you do go out into the sun, it is best to apply a lip balm with a very high UV protection factor to the scar every three to four hours.
Patients with vitiligo, scars, burns or scleroderma must protect themselves extra well because these lesions no longer contain melanocytes or melanin and therefore there is no effective barrier against sun rays as with normal skin.