WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO SKIN WHEN EXPOSED TO THE SUN

There is a lot of information out there about the harmful effects of prolonged sun exposure on the skin, but many of these sources don’t discuss what’s actually happening to your skin when exposed to UV light. Here, we provide an overview of UV radiation–the different types, how they interact with your skin and what you can do to limit your risk of sun damage.

WHAT IS ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of light that is able to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. Infrared and visible light are also part of this electromagnetic spectrum. Unlike visible light, however, UV radiation is invisible to the human eye because its wavelengths are too short. Further, it is broken down into three different categories, each based on unique wavelengths. These are:

• UVA, which have the longest wavelengths

• UVB, which have shorter wavelengths than UVA, but longer than UVC

• UVC, which have wavelengths that are so short, they cannot pass through earth’s atmosphere (Skin Cancer Foundation).

So when we talk about exposure to UV radiation, we’re really referring to UVA and UVB rays, as these are the two types that can penetrate the ozone layer and our skin.