隨著天氣變冷,人們開始裹上厚重的衣服,帶上耳套,大多數(shù)人就開始忽略防曬的這件事兒了。畢竟么,人們都裹成個熊了,冬天這點太陽光還能造次?
But the sun's rays can be just as harmful when it's cold and cloudy outside. "Any exposed area of your body can still get sunburned," Dr. Apple Bodemer, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Live Science.
不過就算外面很冷而且陰云密布,太陽的光線也一樣有害。“你身體暴露在外的部分仍會被曬傷,”來自威斯康星-麥迪遜大學的皮膚病助理教授Apple Bodemer博士告訴Live Science說。
Whether you spend a day on the slopes, skating on a pond or shoveling snow out of your driveway, your face is still getting exposed to the sun's radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light, according to Bodemer. When those UV rays penetrate deep into your skin cells, they can cause DNA damage, she said.
據(jù)Bodemer所說,無論你是在山上滑一天雪也好,在池塘上滑一天冰也好,或者在自家門口鏟雪也好,你的臉部都會暴露在太陽光的紫外線之下。她說,當這些紫外線穿透進你皮膚深處的細胞以后,會造成DNA損傷。
The sun's long ultraviolet A (UVA) waves can cause premature aging, sunspots and wrinkles, while its short ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are notorious for causing skin reddening and burns. (Ultraviolet C, or UVC rays are a third and even shorter type of ultraviolet radiation that is mostly absorbed by the Earth's ozone layer).
陽光中的長波紫外線(UVA)會導(dǎo)致皮膚過早老化、出現(xiàn)雀斑以及皺紋,而中波紫外線(UVB)則會導(dǎo)致皮膚變紅和曬傷。(短波紫外線UVC大多數(shù)都被地球的臭氧層吸收了。)
Skin damage caused by UV exposure increases over time. "Your skin is like the meter in a taxi cab," said Dr. Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. "As you get more radiation, the meter goes forward, and the more that happens, or the stronger the radiation, the faster the meter goes."
紫外線造成的皮膚損傷會根據(jù)接觸時間的增加而加重。“你的皮膚就像出租車里的計費器,”紐約大學的皮膚病臨床教授Darrel Rigel博士說道,“你接觸的輻射越多,‘計費器’的費用就越高,接觸的越頻繁,或者輻射強度越高,‘計費器’的跳動頻率就越快。”
Eventually, UV-related skin damage can lead to skin cancer. It's the most common type of cancer in the United States. About 3.3 million Americans are diagnosed with basal and squamous cell skin cancers each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
紫外線相關(guān)的皮膚損傷最終會導(dǎo)致皮膚癌。這也是美國最常見的癌癥種類。據(jù)美國癌癥協(xié)會統(tǒng)計,每年有大約330萬美國人被確診罹患基礎(chǔ)細胞癌和鱗狀細胞癌。
Snow and ice can also make sun damage worse. They reflect up to 80 percent of UV rays that reach the ground, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. That means that you get hit from two angles: first from the sky and second from the ground, as the rays rebound. And skiers and snowboarders increase their risk of getting sunburned even more because UV exposure increases at higher altitudes.
雪和冰也會使得陽光的破壞力加強。據(jù)皮膚癌基金會所說,冰雪能反射到達地表的紫外線中的80%。這就意味著你會從兩個角度接觸到紫外線:從天而降的一手紫外線以及地面反射后的二手紫外線。由于高海拔地區(qū)的紫外線更強,因此滑雪愛好者們被曬傷的風險更大。
"Our atmosphere helps scatter some of the UV radiation," Bodemer said. "When you're up at a high altitude, there's not as much atmosphere and you will get more intense UV radiation exposure."
“地球的大氣能幫助散射一些紫外線輻,”Bodemer表示,“當你身處高海拔地區(qū),稀薄的大氣就會人暴露在更強烈的紫外線照射下。”
The overall amount of UV rays decreases slightly in the winter because of the angle that the sun's rays hit the Earth, Bodemer said. But people who are exposed to the winter sun — especially those who are prone to burning in the summer — are still at risk of getting a sunburn, she said.
Bodemer表示,由于太陽光在冬季入射地球角度的關(guān)系,冬季的總體紫外線量會有些許下降。但是那些皮膚暴露在冬季陽光下的人也還是有被曬傷的風險,尤其是那些在夏季容易被曬傷的人。
Certain creams and medications, such as retinol products and chemical peels, can also make the skin more photosensitive. Rigel told Live Science. And even tetracycline-based antibiotics, including those prescribed for treating acne or a cold, can increase your sun-sensitivity.
Rigel告訴Live Science說,特定的一些面霜和藥物會讓皮膚對光更敏感,比如說含維生素A的產(chǎn)品和化學換膚。甚至是含四環(huán)素的抗生素,包括那些為了治療痤瘡或者感冒的處方藥,都能增加皮膚的陽光敏感度。
"In general, the biggest factor for sun-sensitivity is how pale your skin is," he said. "But, the reality is that even the darkest [skinned] individual can get sun damage. They might not get it as quickly because they have more natural protection, but even dark-skinned individuals get skin cancer."
“通常來說,陽光敏感度的最大影響因素是你皮膚的白皙程度,”他說,“但事實上甚至是深膚色的個體也會被曬傷。他們可能沒那么快被曬傷,因為有著天然膚色的保護,不過就算深膚色的個體也會患皮膚癌。”
Luckily, the solution for protecting your skin is simple: Wear sunscreen every day. Rigel recommended using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30, and going higher if you're planning a vacation at high altitudes. As a rule of thumb, SPF 30 will block 97 percent of UVB rays; SPF 50 will block 98 percent of UVB rays; And SPF 100 will block 99 percent of UVB rays, Dr. Steven Wang, the director of Dermatologic Surgery and Dermatology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, told the Skin Cancer Foundation. And, no matter what kind of sunscreen you use, it's important to apply SPF about once every 2 hours, Wang added.
幸運的是,保護皮膚的解決方法很簡單:每天都擦防曬霜。Rigel建議至少要使用SPF30以上的防曬霜,如果打算要去高海拔地區(qū)去度假,則要買更高防曬系數(shù)的防曬霜。一般來說,SPF30的防曬霜能隔離97%的UVB;SPF50的能隔離98%的UVB;而SPF100的能隔離掉99%的UVB。此外,無論你使用哪種防曬霜,都要記得每隔兩小時補一次。
Rigel also suggested looking for sunscreens labeled "broad spectrum" — to protect against both UVB and UVA rays — as well as sunscreens that are water resistant for up to 80 minutes. That way, you can go about your day without it wearing off too quickly.
Rigel還建議買防曬霜要挑選有“廣譜”標簽的,這樣能同時隔離UVB和UVA,而且防曬霜的防水時間能達到80分鐘。這樣的話,你就能夠放心出去浪,不用擔心防曬霜太快就失效了。
You don't have to hibernate indoors as long as you protect yourself when you go out, Rigel said. "It always pays to protect yourself."
只要你出門能武裝到皮膚,那你就沒必要整個冬天宅在家里冬眠,Rigel表示,“保護自己沒壞處。”