Hey Everyone!
It’s May, which hopefully brings the warm weather we’ve all been dying for.
Getting outside is such a nice treat after the harsh winter. However, there is
a downside to so much time spent outside - excessive sun exposure. Yes, here at
Le Bon Visage we have a love/hate relationship with our celestial neighbor.
It’s so warm and cozy and feels so good after the cold,
cold winter. I know, Liz Quesnelle has been there. It lures you in, “oh, I am
so toasty and don’t I feel good on your flesh? That’s right….just have a little
lie down on the grass.” Then, before you know it, the sun is roasting the heck
out of your poor, beautiful skin.
To satiate your inquisitive minds, this newsletter is devoted to educate you
about the sun, your skin and how to protect yourself.
The skin is comprised of 3 layers: The epidermis (what you see), the dermis (where skin cells start and nerve endings, blood vessels, and the all important melanocytes live) and the adipose layer (fatty tissue that supports the skin and provides protection, much like a shock absorber).
The melanocytes that hang in your dermis make melanin, the chemical responsible
for pigment (hair, eyes, and skin). Now, how much melanin you have in your skin
normally is predetermined by genetics. There are times, however, when your
melanocytes get called to go above and beyond their normal call of duty.
Namely, when you have an injury.
Have you ever noticed that when you get a cut or scrape, the area around the
injury turns darker than the rest of your skin? This is because your body sends
melanin to those locations. It’s part of the healing process.
When your skin becomes tan, it’s a similar thing. The UVA and UVB rays from the sun are damaging your skin. Therefore, your body responds by releasing more melanin.
When your skin superficially heals, you go back to being your normal color, except for the areas of the epidermis that are permanently damaged, such as freckles and moles.
There is a difference between UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the ones primarily responsible for skin aging. They reach into your adipose layer and break it down. When the adipose layer is broken, it is unable to provide cushion, support and shape, thus causing the skin to sag. UVA rays also destroy the skin’s collagen , causing a further loss of tone and elasticity. There is an equal amount of UVA rays all day long.
UVB rays reach as far as the dermis. They are primarily responsible for skin cancers (although UVA rays CAN cause cancer as well). UVB rays are 100 times more efficient in causing sunburns and the thickening of the outermost layer (stratum corneum) of the epidermis (think leathery skin). These rays are most powerful between 10 am and 4 pm.
UVA and UVB rays also instantly destroy these cool cells in your body known as Langerhans cells. These bad boys behave sort of like sentries. They scour the area looking for mutated cells or infections and they get messages to the T-Cells to come and attack. Without these, the mutated cells or infections are free to go undetected.
· Make application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 as much a part of your year-round daily routine as brushing your teeth.
· Apply sunscreen liberally and reapply every 2 hours when working, playing or exercising outdoors. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off sweat or water.
· Remember your ears, nose, neck and hands. They may seem small but they can burn big time. Always cover these areas with sunblock.
· Avoid reflective surfaces that can reflect up to 85 percent of the sun's damaging rays. Surfaces such as water, sand, snow and pavement all reflect and intensify exposure
· Make sure there's a tube of sunscreen in the car for last-minute sun activities
· Let the sunscreen dry on your skin for 20 to 30 minutes before going outside. It takes that long for the chemicals to start working and helps ensure that it stays on your skin where it belongs.
· Avoid the midday sun as much as possible. The sun's UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To the extent you can, limit exposure to the sun during these hours. This is the most dangerous time to be in the sun.
· If you're in the sun and there's shade nearby, stand under it. If there's no shade, bring your own (i.e., a hat with a 4-inch brim). Also wear sunglasses and tightly-woven protective clothing. Dark colors give more protection.
· Wear a hat - A hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection to your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck - areas particularly prone to overexposure to the sun. Hats are cool, anyway! Studies have shown that every inch of hat brim cuts your risk of skin cancer by about 10 percent, since about two-thirds of all skin cancers appear on the face and neck.
· Check the UV Index in the morning paper or on the TV or radio before you go out. Then take the necessary steps to stay sun-safe.
· Sunscreens combined with other skin-care products (such as moisturizers) are real step-savers. Just make sure the sunscreen in the product has an SPF of at least 15.
· CLOUD COVER IS NO COVER! It's a myth that the clouds filter out the sun's harmful rays. Up to 80% of UV radiation gets through cloud cover and straight to your skin. So use sunscreen all year long, you dig?
· Avoid sunlamps and tanning parlors. Sunlamps damage the skin and unprotected eyes and are best avoided entirely.
At this point of my newsletter, I’d like to stop railing on this topic and talk about Le Bon Visage’s Summer Special!!
Since so many of you like the hot bronze look (and it’s hot, I know), but don’t want to be in the sun (RIGHT? You DON’T want to be in the sun), Le Bon Visage is now offering a great full body exfoliation and sunless tanner application! Your skin will look and feel like butter….if butter were brownish and glowed. The cost of the treatment is $80 and it lasts 90 minutes. If you get the exfoliation/tanning treatment at the same time as a facial, then the cost for both services is $135 – a $15 savings!
Hope that all of you are doing well and I hope to see you all soon!
Liz
P.S. As usual, please let me know if you have any questions!!