PROTECT YOUR SKIN ALL YEAR ROUND

It may be chilly outside, but the sun can still do serious damage

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The warm rays of summer sunshine are a distant memory and swimwear season is a  long way off. But you might want to think twice before clearing out the sun lotion from your bathroom cabinet as shielding your skin in the coldest months is just as vital. Here’s why you should be slapping on sunscreen 365 days a year.

PREVENT CANCER

While it may feel like it, the sun doesn’t disappear completely during the winter months. The harmful rays that cause skin cancer can still reach your skin, says Laura Harker, lead screening nurse at The Mole Clinic. Every day in the UK, around 475 people* are diagnosed with the disease. ‘However, extensive sun exposure is responsible for four out of five cases, making it preventable,’ says Laura. As there’s no proven way to reverse sun damage, prevention is the best strategy, even in winter, according to consultant dermatologist Dr Adam Friedmann at Stratum Dermatology Clinics. ‘When we get sunburnt, it causes specific DNA mutations, which increase the risk of cancer in skin cells.’

WARD OFF WRINKLES 

Wearing sunscreen all year round will help you to look younger, too. ‘Sunlight is by far the biggest single cause of photoageing, because UV radiation causes the breakdown of collagen. So, to slow down the ageing process, it’s crucial to wear high-factor sunscreen,’ says Dr Friedmann. ‘Collagen is the underlying elastic support tissue that gives skin its strength, smoothness and elasticity. UV damage can also cause uneven pigmentation and hyperpigmentation, commonly referred to as age spots or sunspots.’