Attention! The winter sun

As we reach the middle of December, we are starting to feel the cold face of winter. Although we are a country with a continental climate in the most characteristic way, we cannot say that we are very successful in living at peace with winter and snow.

Although impressive landscapes covered with white snow come to mind when we think of winter, we should not forget that the harsh conditions of the winter months cause serious damage to our skin. If we are not protected properly, the “winter sun” about which songs are written will pose a serious danger to us.

In recent years, people have become aware of the need to protect their skin against the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, with the influence of informative warnings, explanations and scientific findings from experts. However, many people still have the misconception that they should only protect their skin from the sun during the summer months. However, it is now known that the effect of sunlight on the skin does not depend on temperatures and seasons. Just as in the summer when the sun’s rays are intense, the sun’s rays affect our skin to a great extent in the winter months. This is evidenced by the fact that 90% of UV rays reach the earth even when the weather is overcast.

Studies have shown that snowflakes reflect 50-90% of the sun’s rays, which increases the UV amount exponentially. The light reflected from the ground affects our normally protected areas such as under the chin, neck and upper lip, and causes sunburns.

Is Winter Sun Harmful?

During winter months, burns occur on unprotected skin exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays. As the skin progresses, dryness, flaking, moisture loss and peeling occur, and after a while, fine wrinkles, which are signs of premature aging, are observed. People who are exposed to harmful rays for many years can experience very serious consequences such as skin cancer.

During winter months, not only sunlight but also external factors such as severe cold and wind cause irreparable damage to the skin.

What to do?

In developed countries, it seems that there is a very high awareness about the need to protect the skin from the sun, snow and harsh weather conditions in winter. In recent years, awareness has been increasing in our country, thanks to the explanations and information provided by experts on the subject.

It is essential to take precautions to protect our skin from the harmful effects of the sun and other external factors. In winter, just like in summer, using sunscreen is extremely important for your skin. In high altitude places where snowfall is heavy, sunscreen with a high protection factor must be applied to the exposed parts of the skin. Since the reflective properties of snow and the natural UV protective layer are thinner in high altitudes, “photoaging” will occur at a high rate on the skin, in such cases, it would be the best choice to use sunscreens specially produced for “photoaging”.

In order to protect the skin against seasonal factors other than the winter sun and to prevent drying and cracking, it is necessary to support the skin with repairing and moisturizing products.