The darker side of sun

. Melanoma can be completely flat and not give you any symptoms, therefore, you have to look for it.
It is recommended that you do a quick skin exam once a month. Check all your skin, because melanoma can develop on any part of the skin even that which is never exposed to sun. If you think anything looks suspicious don’t hesitate to get it checked out by a medical professional. Fair skinned people should have their skin checked by a doctor at least once a year.
The role of sunscreens has recently been questioned by postulating that sunscreen use actually leads to more melanoma by allowing users to stay in the sun longer and, therefore, cause more sun damage.
It is argued that without sunscreen, a person would be forced to seek shade earlier because of burning and discomfort of the skin. It is difficult to prove or disprove this theory. Those advocating sunscreen use, point out that Australia, where sunscreen use is prevalent, is the only country where melanoma rates have fallen, rather than increased.
Protecting yourself
Sunscreen use guidelines
– Apply 30 minutes before exposure. It is only after it has time to bind to the skin that it becomes effective.
-Apply enough. Studies show that the average person applies only half the amount necessary for sun protection. By decreasing the thickness of application, you can decrease an sun protection factor (SPF) making it far less effective than what you would expect.
– Apply even on cloudy days. Eighty percent of the suns’ harmful rays still get to the earths’ surface despite a cloud cover. 
– Use a sunscreen with both UVA as well as UVB protection (i.e  Clarins range of sun protection). The suns’ harmful rays are divided into UV (ultraviolet) A and B. Sunscreens lacking these two ingredients will only protect you against a very small part of the UVA spectrum. Since the SPF number only rates UVB light, you can buy a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 and still have almost no UVA protection.
Clarins have put many years of research into their sun protection range of products to ensure they provide maximum protection and moisturising benefits to the skin. They have taken their customer care to the next level in providing protection for specific areas, like the delicate eye contour area.
They also make the products user friendly like the lip and ear protection stick which comes on a lanyard to hang round the neck or to attach to the outside of a kit bag. See your nearest stockist for the full range of sun protection available and take advantage of the free Beach Bag currently on offer.
Other measures to protect yourself
– Encourage the use of hats and sunglasses. This is an important adjunct to sunscreens, as no sunscreen currently on the market blocks the sun completely. 
– Avoid the sun between the hours of 10-2. This is when the sun’s rays are at their strongest and cause damage to the skin in a much shorter time. 
– Wear sun protective clothing. If you’re going to be in the sun for any length of time, i.e. a fishing competition, wear specific sun protection clothing. In general, this does a better job of protecting the skin than sunscreen, and keeps you cooler on a sunny day.
The clothing needs to have tightly woven material and usually states an SPF number. There are also sun protective swimsuits available which look like wetsuits and come in many different styles (kids love them!). 
– If you want tanned, healthy looking skin, use a self tan which gives you the look without the damage to your skin and risk to your health.
Sun bronzed skin the safe, healthy way!
The safest way to have a gorgeous, healthy looking tan is to use a self-tan gel, cream or lotion. These products are cosmetic and only affect dead skin cells. They will do nothing to live skin cells, so they have no long-term or harmful effects.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective products available are sunless or self-tanning lotions that contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient (found in Clarins self tanning lotions).
DHA is a colourless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the epidermis. As the sugar interacts with the dead skin cells, a colour change occurs. This change usually lasts about five to seven days from the initial application.
If you look at your skin under a strong microscope you will see that it is not smooth at all. In fact, it resembles a mountain range with the build-up of the dead skin cells. If you apply sunless tanning spray solution to the skin with so much build-up, the tan will go on uneven with more solution absorbed into ridges, and when the skin exfoliates naturally, the “peaks of the mountain range” will rub off first, and you will be left with a very uneven tan.
If, however, you exfoliate your skin before the sunless tanning solution is applied, the “mountain peaks” on your skin get to be greatly reduced, and so the tan will go on evenly. It will also take a while for the skin to build up the dead skin layer, and so the tan will last much longer than on an un-exfoliated skin.
Every day, millions of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. In fact, every 35 to 45 days, you have an entirely new epidermis. This is why tans from sunless or self-tanning lotions will gradually fade and why most of these products suggest that you re-apply the sunless or self-tanner about every three days to maintain your “tan”.
Another popular form of sunless tanning is the bronzer. These powders and moisturisers, once applied, create a tan that can easily be removed with soap and water. More like make-up, these products tint or stain your skin only until they are washed off.
Try Clarins Bronzing Duo for a healthy looking glow in any season. It also contains the Clarins Anti-Pollution Complex protecting against pollution and free radicals.
It’s important to remember that most of these products, unless they contain an added sunscreen, will not protect you from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Even products that do contain a sunscreen, won’t be of much help, since they lose their efficacy within hours of application.
So, if you’re planning to head outside, to show off your new glow, be sure to apply some extra sunscreen.

– For all your queries or tips or to be added onto our database, e-mail: missk@zol.co.zw