JAKARTA - When summer arrives or the sun is hot, many people take shelter with umbrellas. But do you know, not all umbrellas are able to protect against exposure to dangerous sunlight.
Choosing the right umbrella can be an important step to maintain skin health and prevent the bad effects of UV light.
"Many people think that all umbrellas are the same, even though the one who can really protect from the sun is a special UV umbrella," said Dr. Helen He, Co-Director at Mount Sinai-Clinique Healthy Skin Dermatology Center, quoted from the New York Post page.
In several countries, including Indonesia, the use of umbrellas during sunny weather has become a common habit. Not only to avoid kulit jika, but also to prevent premature aging, black spots, and skin cancer.
"People bring umbrellas on hot days not because they follow in, but because they are aware of the importance of protection from the sun," explained Dr. He.
Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can indeed help the body produce vitamin D. If you are exposed too often without protection, the risk is big. Starting from burned skin, black spots appear, to skin cancer.
The UV umbrella is an umbrella specifically designed to block sunlight. Usually made of cloth that is tight and has a special anti-UV layer.
If you want to buy an umbrella for hot weather, look for someone with a 50+ UPF label. That means the umbrella can block more than 98% of UV light," said Dr. He.
Color also affects. In a study from the Emory School of Medicine, a black umbrella has proven to be the most effective in holding UV rays, up to 90%.
Meanwhile, white umbrellas or other bright colors provide much less protection.
"If you like a bright color umbrella, choose the inside which is covered in black or silver," suggested Dr. He.
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Although the UV umbrella can be very helpful, it still does not provide total protection. UV light can bounce off the surface such as asphalt, water, or sand, and still hit our skin even though it is already under an umbrella shadow.
"Payung is only effective in protecting from direct light from above. But sunlight can come from all directions," said Dr. He.
Therefore, he advised to continue to use additional protection such as sunscreen, long sleeved clothes, and wide hats. In addition, avoid leaving the house when the sun is very hot, which is between 10 am to 3 pm.
"I always remind my patients, if you can see the sun, that means the sun can also see you," he said.
One of the most common errors is not wearing sunscreen or forgetting to re-implication it.
"Use a sunscreen the size of a five- hundreds coin for the face and a small glass for the whole body," said Dr. He.
"And don't forget to apply it again every two hours, especially if you sweat or swim," he continued.
For owners of dark skin or those who are vulnerable to pigmentation problems such as melasma, a beautiful type of mineral that is colored can be the best choice.
"This type is not only protecting from UV, but also from visible light which can trigger black spots," he added.
Don't just take an umbrella when leaving the house in the middle of the heat. Choose what is really designed for the protection of the sun, not only to keep it hot, but also to maintain the health of the skin in the long term.
"Remember, the best protection is a combination, namely umbrella, sunscreen, protective clothing, and timing awareness." concluded Dr. He.
With the right protection, you can still look cool and comfortable, without having to sacrifice skin health.
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