Stay young, Stay safe

So I am 18, I am fair skinned, I like to go outside when the sun is out but I would not call myself a sun worshipper... would I really have sun damage?

Well apparently so.. all the marks circled with yellow indicate skin damage from the sun... Scary I know! And while there aren't large patches of damage, it is still quite shocking!

I happened to be doing a shift at work (Boots) and there was a No7 event on launching a new anti-ageing serum from their range Lift and Luminate. I was not in the age range that they were specifically targeting this new serum at but there was the chance to have your face scanned to see the effects of the sun on the skin. Seeing as I was just finishing work, and it was free, I thought- I might as well give it a go!

You put your head in this box and shut your eyes. There are several flashes and then the machine scans the image of your face. Here are my results

The machine shows you all your blemishes, red marks, bacteria on your face. The results were really interesting. It picked up my blemishes which wasn't the most flattering part of the experience! If you ever get the chance to have a go on one of these machines, I would really recommend it- It is a real eye opener!

I digress... The bottom left shows the patches of UV damage already present on my skin. I am in the 40% mark for my age- 100% being people with little damage. There is nothing I can do now that I have this damage but the advice given was to start to prevent any more developing by wearing sun protection so that as I get older, my percentage score will increase whilst my peers scores will keep on getting lower.

The problem is that many people do not regularly apply sun protection and the easiest and most simple way is to use a moisturiser with them present. Be sure that it has BOTH UVA and UVB protection. In simple terms UVA rays cause ageing, whilst UVB causes burning. You know when you get that lush tan on holiday? Well that is your skin essentially cooking and telling you to move out of the sun. I totally don't want to be a kill joy- but make sure you cover up people! You don't want to look old and wrinkly before your time, or ever if you can possibly have it.

I read a report once that not all SPF 15 moisturisers give you protection from both UVA rays and UVB. Often they only include protection from UVB rays- this is NOT enough! Check your products people and invest in your health! What's a few extra pounds when your health is concerned?

The important message to ram home here is that no matter what the weather, cloudy, rainy, foggy, the sun is still out, and exposure to the sun has negative effects for the skin. You need to be looking for moisturisers with an SPF 15 which protects you from both UVA and UVB rays! Stay young, stay safe! DO IT NOW!