[nodisharmony]

We are looking forward to the lovely summer, or are we?

Sunshine is lovely, but our planets ozone layer is in trouble and it can let much harmful rays in and do more damage than you could ever believe.

Look at this article, which describes each and every part of you, that can be affected by the Sun.

Link & Article below:-

http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/your...name_page.html
WHAT SUMMER DOES TO US
WELL-BEING SUNLIGHT CAN TAN AND BURN, BUT IT'S NOT ONLY OUR SKIN THAT REACTS TO IT - ITS RAYS AFFECT US FROM HEAD TO TOE. HERE HELEN FOSTER LOOKS AT THE PROS AND CONS OF A LONG, HOT SUMMER...
17/05/2007
FEET

SMELLS and infections thrive in the heat. "Feet contain more sweat glands than any other part of your body so it's no wonder they suffer in summer,' says Dave Wain, podiatrist from Carnation.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Wash feet at least once a day and use anti-perspirants to reduce moisture. "To prevent blisters apply plasters or a product called 'fleecy padding' that you put between your foot and any part of your shoe that rubs," says Dave.

LEGS/BONES

DR Miriam Nelson, author of Strong Women, Strong Bones (Rodale) says bones are three to four per cent thicker in summer as the extra vitamin D your body produces increases calcium absorption in the body.

BOOST THE BENEFIT: Ensure that you've got enough calcium in your diet to absorb. Aim for three to four servings of dairy products every day.

TORSO

PRICKLY heat can cause misery in the summer and the torso is the part of the body most often affected. "It happens when the sweat glands on the body get blocked which causes inflammation and an itchy rash," says Clare Kerr, pharmacist at Lloyds Pharmacies.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: If you get prickly heat, it's important to reduce sweating by cooling the skin, so Clare recommends cool baths and cotton clothing. "Anti-histamine medications or mild steroid creams like hydrocortisone can help relieve the itch," she explains.

SHOULDERS

THIS is the most common place to burn because unlike legs, arms and faces we only normally expose them when things get really hot so they have no defences.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Use sunscreens like Boots Soltan Clear Sun Spray (from £8.99) - easy to apply and, because they're clear, they don't need rubbing in. This is an advantage because, as RAFT Institute of Plastic Surgery found, rubbing in can lower their SPF. "If you do burn, cool the skin with an aloe vera gel, then apply a cream containing antioxidants which can mop up some of the damaging free radicals formed," says Jane Lewis from Sk:n Clinics (www.skn-clinics.co.uk).

GENITALS/ FERTILITY

IT'S bad news if you want to start a family - for every 10 degrees over average the thermometer rises, births fall the next spring by six per cent. This may be because heat interferes with sperm production - men produce 30 per cent less in summer - but also because light nights interfere with ovulation.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Darken your bedroom. Research by Sacred Heart Medical Centre in Washington, USA showed that around half of women with conception problems conceived after decreasing light at night.

STOMACH

SUMMER is the season for dodgy tummies. In winter about 1,200 people a week get food poisoning, by June it's 2,000. "When we get people in with upset tummies in summer they've almost always eaten picnic and barbecue food," says Boots pharmacist Angela Chalmers.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Keep food cool before you eat it and ensure barbecue food is cooked through. If food poisoning does hit, let it work its way out of your system. Drink lots of water and use rehydration sachets such as Dioralyte.

BREASTS

SUNLIGHT helps the creation of vitamin D in your body which sounds good but it's actually pretty useless until it's turned into an active form. But luckily we have vitamin D-producing sites around the body, including the breasts.

"Breast tissue contains high levels of the enzyme that causes the conversion," says Professor Martin Hewison from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

That's good news, as one of the most important jobs of vitamin D is cancer protection. It stops cancer cells from reproducing and causes them to die young, meaning every day your breasts could be protecting themselves - and other areas of your body - from attack.

BOOST THE BENEFIT: "The more vitamin D you have in your body the more of the active form you can create," says Dr Hewison. Which is why, as well as getting some sun exposure each day, he recommends you also load up on vitamin D-heavy foods such as oily fish, eggs and dairy.

HEART

THE summer makes your heart beat with joy. Not only does that warmth cause blood vessels to widen therefore lowering blood pressure, but UVB rays in sunlight convert a substance in your skin - 7-dehydrocholesterol - into vitamin D. If this doesn't happen the 7-dehydrocholesterol turns into the cholesterol that clogs arteries.

BOOST THE BENEFIT: Get a safe dose of sun - enough to boost your vitamin D production but not so much that you risk sun damage.

According to dermatologist Dr Michael Holick, you find this by estimating how long it takes your skin to burn slightly in the sun, then work out 20 per cent of that.

Two to three times a week expose unprotected skin for that long.

BRAIN

SUNLIGHT makes us happy because as the rays hit the back of your eye, they trigger nerves in the brain to release the mood-boosting hormone serotonin," explains Gavin Lambert from the Baker Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. And during the summer we produce around seven times more serotonin than we do in winter.

BOOST THE BENEFIT: Sit near windows and open curtains as far as you can. Research shows serotonin is released into the brain via nerve pulses so the brighter the environment, the more often the nerves fire - and the happier you'll feel.

NAILS

BLOOD vessels expand in the sun which means more nutrients reach the nail plate. Because of this, it's easier to grow luscious, strong nails in the summer

BOOST THE BENEFIT: Keep nails moisturised. "This prevents them drying out and snapping before you can make the most of their growth spurt," explains Iris Chapple, from the Nail Studio in Chelsea. Her favourite product for doing this is almond oil. You can also boost bloodflow by gently buffing nails - or doing activities like typing.

HAIR

HAIR grows faster in summer, but it gets damaged more easily, too. Normally it grows about 1.5cm a month, but UV light speeds up cell reproduction and dividing cells makes hair grow. "But too much sun damages the hair cortex making it porous and dry," says Richard Ward from Richard Ward's Metrospa.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Use a sun filtering treatment like Kerastase Soleil Creme Aqua Resist, £15 (www.hairshop.co.uk). "Also wear longer hair tied up with the ends tucked in," says Richard.

MOUTH

THE good news is you're 20 per cent less likely to get gum disease as vitamin D - produced when sun hits your skin - fights the inflammation that causes it. The bad news is sunlight can cause cold sores. "UV rays can trigger the virus's release," says Tesco pharmacist Penny Beck.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Wear a sun block on your lips. A good one is LomaBrit (£4.99, call 01732 742345 to order) as it contains SPF 15 and lemon balm which neutralises up to 90 per cent of the herpes virus, even the variety resistant to normal aciclovir-based creams.

EYES

JUST as sun can burn skin, it can also burn eyes. If you have painful watery red eyes and a sensitivity to light about 12 hours after sunbathing, that's what's happened. To tackle the pain an optometrist can prescribe painkilling eye drops and you should avoid bright light until things clear up, according to Oliver Backhouse, consultant ophthalmologist at Yorkshire Eye Hospital.

DEFEAT THE DAMAGE: Wear sunglasses - but only those marked with British Safety Standard BS2724 which proves they filter both UVA and UVB rays.







nodisharmony

[Sunny_01]

I understand the implications of the sun BUT I do love to lie in i for as many daylight hours as possible!

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Sunny_01
I understand the implications of the sun BUT I do love to lie in i for as many daylight hours as possible!

I also used to love laying on the beach and sunbathing and then going into the sea and then back out again and drying in the warm sun


But NOT in England really. I would really only enjoy it in the beautiful Mediterranean

I have been in that sea a few times, lying on a lilo, while I go up and down the small waves. But I have been adventurous at times and a massive wave has knocked me off and the lilo has gone flying

But after that, I'm straight back lying on the beach on the beautiful sand.

But that is long ago now and I would love to repeat it one day? Anything is possible







nodisharmony

[Ruth]

Must admit I am not one for lying out in the sun. I love to be out and about, sightseeing or something like that, or just sitting reading in the nice weather. But I always wear suncream - and a high factor too. I have pale skin and burn very easily, so I have to be careful.

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Ruth
Must admit I am not one for lying out in the sun. I love to be out and about, sightseeing or something like that, or just sitting reading in the nice weather. But I always wear suncream - and a high factor too. I have pale skin and burn very easily, so I have to be careful.

I am now similar to yourself Ruth.

I don't sunbathe anymore and my skin has got paler over the years because of that, even though you can't help but catch the sun on your face and hands, even if the rest of you is covered up.

But I hope that some people read this article, as the sun can do more damage than many people actually think.

The ozone layer is not so secure as it was.







nodisharmony

[Matt]

I thought you were talking about the newspaper

[Gap]

Originally posted by Matt™
I thought you were talking about the newspaper

Yeah, I thought nodisharomy was using an exctended metaphor to describe the newpaper for a more impacting effect on the thread's readers

[Matt]

Originally posted by Gap

Yeah, I thought nodisharomy was using an exctended metaphor to describe the newpaper for a more impacting effect on the thread's readers

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Gap

Yeah, I thought nodisharomy was using an exctended metaphor to describe the newpaper for a more impacting effect on the thread's readers

Anything's possible Gap

You'll have to leave yourself guessing forever

Not too much sunshine where I live today. Kinda ruined my day out to. (Nasty clouds)

But in July/August, get ready for some of the most hottest days imaginable






nodisharmony

[Matt]

Originally posted by nodisharmony

Anything's possible Gap

You'll have to leave yourself guessing forever

Not too much sunshine where I live today. Kinda ruined my day out to. (Nasty clouds)

But in July/August, get ready for some of the most hottest days imaginable






nodisharmony

It was sunny here today to begin with, but then it went grey towards the end of the day.

It will be sweltering then. Best buy some fans!

[x-xSapphirex-x]

im gna look out this summer and put on loads of sun cream lol
thats scarey reading that because i love the sun

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Matt™


It was sunny here today to begin with, but then it went grey towards the end of the day.

It will be sweltering then. Best buy some fans!

I have got plenty of fans

ones that keep me cool & then there are other type's of fans





nodisharmony

[Matt]

Originally posted by x-xSapphirex-x
Im gna look out this summer and put on loads of sun cream lol
thats scarey reading that because i love the sun

I'm not so keen on the sun. It's nice, but I can't stand continous weeks of constant sun :|

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by x-xSapphirex-x
Im gna look out this summer and put on loads of sun cream lol
thats scarey reading that because i love the sun

It is a good idea,x-xSapphirex-x

Take care of yourself & let the high-factor suntan lotion do the rest. It's that damaged ozone layer.





nodisharmony

[Matt]

Originally posted by nodisharmony

It is a good idea,x-xSapphirex-x

Take care of yourself & let the high-factor suntan lotion do the rest. It's that damaged ozone layer.





nodisharmony

I should by a few bottles of Factor 50

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Matt™

I should by a few bottles of Factor 50

It's funny actually Matt, but so many of us, catch the sun by just walking around and that is when we get badly burnt and also, tend NOT to put suntan lotion on at all.

I'm guilty of that & I am quite pale skinned....






nodisharmony

[Matt]

Originally posted by nodisharmony

It's funny actually Matt, but so many of us, catch the sun by just walking around and that is when we get badly burnt and also, tend NOT to put suntan lotion on at all.

I'm guilty of that & I am quite pale skinned....






nodisharmony

I got sunburn last summer. I'm NOT, repeat NOT, gonna let that happen again. It hurt liked hell.