Containment
has meant that this year our skin does not have the opportunity to acclimatize
to the sun, so extreme precautions are essential.
It is clear that the expansion of Covid-19 and
the application of measures against the pandemic have changed the way we face
the summer. Not only in the simple planning of the long-awaited summer
holidays, but also in matters intrinsic to them such as (more) exposure to the
sun at this time of year and the necessary photoprotection. In this sense, the
coronavirus has made our mind and body travel at different speeds. And it is
that, with the mind turned towards the summer, the skin continues in its
particular winter.
“In winter,
our body gradually produces melanin until the arrival of spring, creating our
intrinsic photoprotection. In normal situations, already during the spring
months and due to the increase in the ultraviolet index, our body reacts by
producing melanin and desensitizing itself to solar radiation ”, specifies
Tomas Muret, national vocal dermopharmacy of the General Council of
Pharmacists. A kind of acclimatization - called hardening - that could not occur
this time. "The problem this year is that the population, having been
confined, has not had this progressive desensitization or this habitual
production of melanin," he confirms.
As a result,
the risk of more cases of photodermatosis (allergic reactions) or burns from
direct sun exposure is higher than in previous seasons. "We control many
people with burns from small exposures to the sun, which in previous years had
not even created a small redness", Tomás Muret.
In search
of the lost sun
As it is,
the skin also needs to adjust to its own new normal. And this forces this
summer to "take extreme precautions around photoprotection", advises
this expert, focusing on a gradual, progressive and responsible exposure so as
not to damage this organ. In this sense, any attempt to hastily recover the
"lost" hours of sunshine should be ruled out. "It's always a
mistake to go for a quick tan, but this year it's even more dangerous,"
explains Muret. Not only to avoid sunburn, but also "to avoid the
cumulative effect of solar radiation on our skin, which causes premature aging,
hyperpigmentation and skin cancer", warns this specialist.
Under the
sheet
The eternal
recommendations to follow for adequate photoprotection (wear suitable clothing,
wear sunglasses, reinforce the diet with foods rich in vitamin D, good
hydration, application of sunscreen according to the phototype, etc.), the use
of protection products Covid-19 also requires the addition of a number of
additional measures this season. For example, as the General Council of
Pharmacists reminds us, it is also necessary to use sun protection on the skin
covered by the mask.
