Is Sun Tanning Bad for the Skin?

It's hard to resist the golden rays of sunshine on a warm, summer day, but sunspots, wrinkles and cancer can follow your suntan in later years.

Cancer

• The most serious risk of time in the sun is skin cancer. It can take years to develop, but because the damage builds over time, each time you spend time outside--unprotected from the sun--you increase the risk of cancer. The largest part of skin damage is done before you hit your 20s, but it's never too late to start protecting yourself from the harmful rays!

Sunspots

• UV rays cause the melanin, which produces your skin's color, to overwork. This results in red, black and brown oval marks on your skin. According to Health News, cream bleach medications and laser removal are available to treat the blemishes.

Wrinkles

• Sun tanning can lead to wrinkles.

  One of the largest causes of wrinkles is too much exposure to UV rays. As you get older, your skin may become dry or loose as a result of too much sun. Suntanning, even decades before, can still turn to wrinkles later in life.

Blocking the Sun

• The higher the SPF, the better the protection from the sun.

  Sunscreen still allows you to enjoy beautiful weather while protecting your skin. The higher the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) level, the better the protection. According to the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Fransisco, "A user can determine how long their sunblock will be effective by multiplying the SPF factor by the length of time it takes for him or her to suffer a burn without sunscreen." Another option is to cover sensitive areas, such as your face and chest, with baggy clothing or a large hat.

Benefits

• Although too much time in the sun causes many negative effects, it acts as a good source of Vitamin D. Sunlight is the only source of a certain compound of vitamin D. So while the sun causes irreversible damage, it's not all bad because it produces a nutrient that strengthens bones and even helps prevent heart disease.