Seborrheic keratosis are growths that occur as we age and they seem to be related to the sun and sun damage to the skin so it’s best to start taking care of them at an early age with proper sunblocks and dressing appropriately.
It’s an interesting paradox, at least in the West, that young people flock to beaches during the summer to array their bodies under the damaging effects of the sun and its ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays, in an effort to achieve the perfect tan.
That perfect tan, though, is not just a benign effect of summer that makes one look good, it is actually damaging the skin in far more subtle ways that mean that tanning is probably best achieved in a good booth with the proper spray dye, rather than in the sun. It seems paradoxical,doesn’t it, that while the sun is good for you in moderation (Vitamin A), in heavy doses it can cause problems.
So, as they say the best offense is a good defense and it should really begin with your parents when you are a child. Your parents should be aware of the harmful effects that UVA and UVB radiation represent to the skin and when they send you out to play they should use the best – and least expensive – possible sunblocks and creams.
Sunblocks feature two ratings on them for their effectiveness against UVA and UVB. The one you hear bandied about most is SPF (Solar Protection Factor) and this applies to the harmful UVB rays. You hear far less about the effectiveness or even how to rate a sunblock against the harmful effects of UVA rays. UVA rays, while, not quite as damaging as UVB, can still do things to your skin that you must think about. The rating levels are easy to figure when you know how: UVA ratings appear as a stars on a 1 to 5 scale so a good sunblock would be 3 or better stars. UVB protection is shown as the SPF rating and increases as the number rises (an SPF rating of 65 or so means only about 2 percent of the UVB rays get through, however, unless you are planning to live in the sun, a rating the 30s is a good average).
So it’s up to parents to make sure their children use sunblock with the proper protection factors when they are small and it is also up to parents to teach their children that while a great tan may seem nice, it is damaging in very subtle ways, so even though it may seem like cheating, the spray-on (waterproof, of course) tan, is your safest way to a great-looking tan and it provides you protection against any of the varied keratoses.
Also, it’s up to parents to make sure their children wear proper clothing when they go out such as a billed hat and – even though it may be warm – long-sleeved, but loose-fitting clothing for the most protection.
If you teach your children the right habits, they will have healthy skin all through their lives.
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