“Sun Safety and Skin Health” webinar

The main culprit of skin woes like wrinkles, fine lines and pigmentation is photoaging — damage to the skin caused by exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet light. Responsible for 90% of visible changes to the skin, photoaging is a direct result of cumulative sun damage you’ve been exposed to throughout your life.

UVB rays are most likely to cause sunburn while UVA rays are more likely to cause wrinkles. Sunscreen can protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays. An easy way to remember the difference between the two is that UVA = aging and UVB = burning.

Here are four tips to protect your skin:

Treat your skin gently. Limit bath time and use warm, not hot, water. Choose mild cleansers. Lubricate your skin with shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. Use a clean, sharp razor and go in the direction the hair grows, not against it. Pat dry with a towel after washing or bathing, so that some moisture remains on your skin. Moisturize dry skin with a moisturizer that fits your skin type and that contains SPF.

Eat a healthy diet. This includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. A diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger-looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.

Manage stress. Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Get enough sleep, set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

Keep an eye on all your parts. Have any new skin changes evaluated by a doctor, especially if a spot is black, is increasing in size, has an irregular border, has an unusual combination of colors or is bleeding.

Watch all beWell webinars on myAsanteNET.