Flip-flops, days at the beach and endless hours in the sun are typical staples of summertime, but students should be careful when it comes to sun exposure, experts say.
Harmful UVA and UVB rays can cause cancer, but there are lots of ways to stay sun-safe while basking in the beautiful weather.
Students can still enjoy the sunshine, just a little differently than they are used to, said Christina Johnston, a freelance skin expert and makeup artist.
"Sun damage is the No. 1 cause of aging. It's where wrinkles and age spots come from," Johnston said. "Wearing a mosturizer with an SPF everyday and sunscreen when outside for extended periods of time will help protect your skin."
People generally begin to see their first age spot in their early twenties, but it's a result of a sunburn or deep tan they got when they were 8 or 9 years old, Johnston said. The sun's effect on the skin does not show until later in life, she said.
Despite the harmful effects of radiation exposure, there is a healthier way to get a natural tan.
"You can still get color when wearing sunscreen. It will just take longer," Johnston said. "People just think that they need to get their whole tan in one day, but if they build it up it will not only last longer in the long run, but it will be healthier for your skin."
When looking for a sunscreen, students should make sure it protects against UVA rays, which cause signs of aging, and UVB rays, which cause the skin to burn, Johnston said.
A safe alternative to hours in the sun is a self-tanner. It's a common misconception that a sunless tanner merely dyes the skin, Johnston said. Self-tanners actually penetrate the skin and cause a false reaction of melanin.
"In a natural tan. The melanin naturally rushes to the surface to protect the skin from the sun's rays, and in a self-tanner, the melanin is tricked into rushing to the surface," she said. "The better the brand of self-tanner, the more natural the tan will look," she said.
If a burn cannot be avoided, drinking plenty of water to rehydrate and applying generous amount of aloe should soothe the sunburn, Johnston said.
"Aloe will calm the reddness, swelling and irritation that comes with a bad sunburn," Johnston said.
Another way to avoid prolonged exposure to photo-radiation is wearing a T-shirt to protect the back and shoulders, although sometimes it may not be enough. The sun can still damage skin through a T-shirt, so sun-protective clothing is important when out in the sun, said Gail Madsen, a buyer for SunGrubbies.
com, a clothing distributor that sells sun-protective clothing for men, women and children.
The company's products include sun-protective shirts, pants, swimsuits and sun umbrellas.
According to the company's Web site, a regular T-shirt only blocks about 50 percent of UV radiation, and many other types of summer-weight clothing block even less.
Clothing that provides more protection is tightly knit to prevent radiation from getting to skin, Madsen said.
She added that Penn State students should take note because Pennsylvania sees a large number of cases of melanoma.
"Part of the reason why Pennsylvania sees such high rates of melanoma is because of the active lifestyle of the residents and amount of time they spend outdoors," Madsen said. "People need to start looking for products to protect them from radiation."
Madsen said because the ozone layer is depleting, people require more protection from the sun.
"The sun's effects are cumulative and are constantly increasing the chance of melanoma," Madsen said.
Britta Larsson (senior-veterinary and biomedical sciences) said the No. 1 reason why she is vigilant about sunscreen is to protect herself against skin cancer.
"I pour on the suntan lotion. Otherwise I'll get burned and I'll blister," she said. "I get more burned than other people do, so I'm careful."
Larsson said that she is also very careful about her skin to preserve it for the future.
"I wear sunscreen because I don't want to have inelastic skin when I'm older," she said. "I wear SPF 30 in my moisturizer every day."
