Unless you’ve spent the last two decades exploring the Antarctic, you know the sun’s ultraviolet light is pretty much skin’s mortal enemy. So, why does it feel so good! That’s not an idle question: UV light may wind up joining the ranks of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, and other drugs as an addictive substance. In fact, when researchers questioned avid beach-goers about it, their answers indicated signs of substance abuse. The sun lovers, or perhaps, tanaholics, said they
thought about tanning first thing in the morning, felt they should cut back, were guilty about their habit, and got annoyed if anyone criticized it. Deeply understanding the risks made no difference; even if a family member had had skin cancer, they were likely to keep right on tanning.
While it’s true that the skin produces endorphins, notably beta-endorphins, in response to broad-spectrum (natural) light, the feel-good sensation that accompanies being in the sun is likely a psychological response. Think about it: Most people associate sunbathing with vacations, time away from school or work, tropical islands, honeymoons . . . a relaxed state of mind. In fact, when tanaholics are asked why they seek out the sun, many say “to relax.” In animals, stress boosts the desire for addictive drugs; in humans, it inhibits the part of the brain that normally puts the brakes on risky behavior. Looking at it from an evolutionary perspective also helps make sense of this; for millennia we roamed about the land and spent a great deal more time outside than inside.
Today, most people live more confined lives, staying and working indoors for much of the day, Some of us rarely see the sun anymore thanks to long working hours that have us commuting before dawn and home after dark, What happens is that your psychological reaction to being in the great outdoors and sun triggers your body to release feel-good hormones from the inside. Meanwhile, the endorphins created locally in your skin act as anti-inflammatory. They also may help boost your natural collagen and protect against wrinkles, acne, and UV derived
sun damage.
The research aiming to understand the addiction .factor of tanning and seeking the warmth of the sun is still in its infancy, but one cannot deny the feel· good sensations that accompany many people’s reaction to sunlight. Numerous studies have demonstrated how sunlight can lessen the symptoms of seasonal affected disorder (SAD; see article 220) and depression. Much of sunlight’s effect on mood is related to the visible light that hits your eyes. Remember, cycles of light and dark affect the production of certain hormones like melatonin, which in turn says a lot about our biological rhythms and moods.
If you just can’t stop tanning, start keeping a journal of your feelings, and try to pinpoint the reasons for your habit. If stress jumps out, try exchanging your UV fix for a walk in a natural setting or a try light box therapy, You can purchase or rent a light box that emits visible light (with UV filters that block the radiation), Bright-light therapy has many uses, such as aiding in jet lag, seasonal blues, low mood, fatigue, and resetting your circadian rhythm (see SAD box for more).
Ever been curious about exactly why those feel-good rays ate so bad for your skin? Here’s how photo aging, or aging caused by the sun, accumulates:
A is for aging, B is for burning. There are two key types of ultraviolet radiation- UVA and UVB light-and both ravage skin, damaging its DNA, provoking cancer, and accelerating wrinkles, sagging. and other signs of time. UVA has been dubbed the aging ray because, over time, the dermis damage it does produces wrinkles and pigment changes. UVB, the burning ray, triggers inflammation and dilates blood vessels-sunburn. Any time you get tanned, it means you’ve dam; aged your skin. Your body has upped its production of melanin pigment, which acts as a UV filter, in an attempt to shield skin from photo damage.
Skin fights back. As sunlight penetrates your skin, it batters your DNA. UVB attacks DNA directly, UVA also damages and cells and DNA but penetrates even more deeply, which is why it’s dubbed the silent wrinkler, as it goes much deeper than the other rays to cause a delayed tan, delayed wrinkling, and delayed skin cancer. These rays injure a host of cells, including fibroblasts, which produce collagen and elastin. The skin’s stress response system signals an alert and defensive cells rush in to undo the harm, but the result is never quite like new. What’s more, both eypes of UV appear to eventually suppress the immune system, which may be a factor in melanoma. the most serious kind of skin cancer.
Sag sets in and spots surface. Gradually, collagen breaks down and becomes disorganized and abnormal elastin increases, so skin loses its stretchiness and becomes looser, saggy, less resilient, and more wrinkled. Production of melanocytes, skin’s pigment-producing cells, becomes erratic, making skin tone uneven,
blotchy, and spotted.
Red spreads. UV rays encourage the creation of new blood vessels, which may give you a sprinkling of telangiectasias-spidery red spots-and help skin cancers form. Skin usually thins with age, but regularly sun-exposed skin on the back of your neck will get thick and leathery as a defensive reaction to UV light.
