Been running around in the sun too much, lately? The summer season is merciless, sparing none of you and you are left thinking your skin is tanned and damaged beyond repair. Not to worry, just like everything else, there are certain dos and don’ts for recovering your skin too. Here’s how to replace that ugly tan of yours with a nice healthy summer glow!

THE CRACK OF DAWN
Though it is a universal truth that Vitamin D in sunlight is very much needed by the body for proper bone formation, more often than not, there are many other biological counters that happen when sunlight falls on the skin, which not many people are aware of unfortunately. Essentially, the skin’s outermost layer contains cells with a pigment called melanin that protects the skin from the harmful UV (Ultra Violet) rays of the sun. These rays come in two different wavelengths, UVA rays and UVB rays - UVA rays being more dangerous as they are of longer wavelengths penetrating deeply into the skin and UVB rays, which are comparatively less harmful as they are of shorter wavelengths and do not penetrate that deeply into the skin. They burn the skin and damage it quite severely, causing it to age prematurely, leaving fine lines, age spots and wrinkles on it. They also wreck the skin cells causing cell carcinomas. What’s more, prolonged exposure to these rays is known to be the underlying cause of melanoma, the deadly skin cancer, giving us all the more reason to break into a sweat. Though melanin does protect the skin from these rays, even this pigment on exposure to sunlight for a long time, is produced in excess causing the skin to darken and tan. Read on to find out how to liberate yourself from these beams of sunlight which seem to be ruthless.

WIELD THE SHIELD (YELLOW BOX- IT’S THE MAIN POINT)
The easiest way to prevent the sun from damaging the skin is to apply sunscreen, be it indoors or outdoors, without any exception, and to use it very generously on the face, neck, arms and any other area bound to be exposed to the sunlight. Sunscreen protects the skin by scattering the sunlight falling on it, and reflecting most parts of the harmful UV rays right away from the body. The sheet of sunscreen, thus keeping the skin completely safe in this insipid summer, absorbs what’s left of the harmful rays. Lots and lots of sunscreen can be applied without hesitation, and has to be done so once in every two hours, as the more sunscreen applied, the better. What has to be kept in mind is that the sunscreen has to be bought in favour of the skin type of the person, or there might be quite disastrous results! There are sun blockers available in different SPF’s (Sun Protection Factor), for all skin types- be it dry, oily or mixed. So consulting a doctor to chose the right SPF is the best way to go, as they work extremely well when paralleled. The saying goes “Prevention is better than cure”, and indeed it is. So the next time you step out of your house, don’t, by any chance, forget to carry that tube of sunscreen along with you!

HASTA LA VISTA, TAN
A tan can sometimes be such a buzz kill, especially if you have a big day coming ahead. Don’t panic, as there are some straightforward home remedies that can remove a tan quickly, without much of an effort! A few elements are listed out for you to remove that tan right away. Grab these ingredients from your kitchen, mix them and apply the pack on your face for around fifteen minutes, and it should do the trick:

BE THE HEAT
Summer season can be a real pain to bear with, but in one way it is also the perfect time to set a smart style statement for yourself. Get those sunshades and stoles out of the wardrobe and match them with plain tees and denim pants, shorts or skirts. Wear hats, too, to stay out of harm’s way. Coloured flip-flops are the perfect footwear for the summer, so make sure you stock them up. Now you can walk out in the sun looking uber cool and at the same time harboured from the heat!

BACKSTROKE YES, SUNSTROKE NO
When is a better time to take a swim than when the sun is at its brightest? There are a few things that are as heavenly as that feeling you get when you paddle on your back in a pool of water with the sun glaring down on you. Sadly, it’s a great feeling only until you’re in the pool. It comes as quite a bit of a shock when you get to see the tan that is as dark as a tan get! Don’t freak out, you always get waterproof sunscreen. If you get tanned despite that, just get a fruit facial and you’re set.

THERE’S A TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The simplest and easiest way to escape the sun is to simply stay indoors and step out into the sun only when absolutely necessary! The UV rays are said to be at the deadliest from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon, so if you really have to step out, make sure you do so before or after these peak hours to save yourself from the unsympathetic sun. This goes especially for those who have a very low melanin count and get sunburnt just like that, and also for the ones who tan in a flash

ON A SERIOUS NOTE
It’s not slight to breathe easy with talks of skin cancer hovering so close to the topic, however, it is a proven study that skin cancer is the most preventable type of cancer. Keep a regular watch on your skin for any lesions. Also keep a regular check on the moles in your body, and ensure that you consult a doctor if there is a new mole or any change at all in the colour, size or shape of an existing mole, as skin cancer on early detection can be cured with ease.