Nationwide Heat Waves Make you Think About Sun Exposure and Your Spa Clients

Educating your clients about the perils of unprotected sun exposure is essential and as a professional aesthetician it is a duty that you must carry out.  You are the professional that your clients count on for advice on carrying for their skin and maintaining optimum health and appearance.  Too much sun can cause problems.  As a nation of sun worshippers, many of us were raised with the idea that getting a tan was a good thing to do, and even a healthy thing to do.  Moderate sun exposure can in fact be healthy, but most Americans simply get too much sun.

Sun Damage Of The Skin Is Also Known As Photo Damage

Sun damage of the skin is also known as photo damage. It can be  acute, as demonstrated in a sunburn or more commonly it is  chronic.  Gradual changes in the skin can be caused by an accumulation of sun exposure throughout a client’s  life. The results of chronic photo damage can be a  cosmetic change in the  appearance of the skin which is  called photo aging. Or changes can occur that are of a medical and health nature. These can take the form of pre-cancerous lesions and skin cancers. According to most experts  ultra violet light is the major cause of most of the changes that are  associated with aging of the skin.

Make Sure Your Clients Understand the Hazards Of Excessive Sun Exposure

When visiting with your clients make sure that they understand the hazards of excessive exposure to the sun.  Most of the sun exposure people accumulate through a lifetime comes from multiple short periods of time in the out of doors.  Those who live in sunny areas are at greater risk for photo damage, as are those who work outside.  Gardening can be a contributing factor to chronic photo damage, as can sailing, swimming and hanging out at the beach or the swimming pool.  Especially when swimming remember that more of the body and skin area is exposed, so there is more available to suffer damage.

Attitudes Need To Be Changed Regarding Sun Exposure

Attitudes need to be changed.  So many thousands of Americans go to tanning salons to burn their skin darker in addition to spending  vast amounts of time outside directly taking in the sun’s rays.  The word needs to get out that there really is no such thing as a safe tan.  Wearing wide brimmed hats, covering up as much of the skin as possible, and covering that which remains with a sun screen or sun blocker of high density contributes to safety and can help avoid the many problems that can come later in life from sun damage, including cancer.
Those individuals who have fair skin are at a greater risk, though sun damage can occur in all skin types.  Ensure that your clients are aware of the problems and let them know about prevention methods.