Everyone is well aware of the dangers exposure to the sun can bring, and we're reminded especially as summer approaches and the weather improves.
Risks from dehydration and sunstroke are well documented, but are more dangerous to the young and the elderly.
More common and more dangerous is the over-exposure of your skin to UV radiation, which cause short and long term damage.
UVA Damage Every sunscreen will tell you that it guards against UVA radiation.
This is important as UVA is very high-energy radiation, it doesn't penetrate far but it does extensive damage to your skin close to the surface.
UVA acts primarily by making free radicals which multiply and attack proteins and other key parts of your skin, causing many cells to die and lose cohesion between the structural layers.
The inflammation caused by free radicals is uncomfortable which is why you get "sunburn", but this is the most minor symptom- UVA damage can lead to permanent wrinkles, scars, and worst of all can damage cellular DNA causing skin cancer.
All this damage takes a lot of energy and resources from your body to repair, and in many cases never repairs perfectly, particularly where the damage disrupts the structure of skin layers.
Why is this relevant to Thinning Hair? There are reasons why people with thinning hair have to be more careful than average.
Firstly your hair provides excellent protection from the sun, UVA radiation is absorbed into hair before it reaches the skin.
However if you have thinning hair- even if it isn't an obvious area with no hair, just an area where the hair is more diffuse, the sun will reach your skin.
Scalp skin is more vulnerable to UVA as it has been protected by hair for most of your life, and so the mechanisms to cope with and repair UVA damage are not active.
People with thinning hair who spend a lot of time in the sun may not particularly feel the sun burning, however it will be causing damage as the sun can reach the sensitive skin.
As mentioned before the damage caused by UVA is extensive and takes a lot of energy to repair.
For people with thinning hair this is especially relevant, as their hair needs good nutrition and a stable environment to grow well.
Free radicals and the damage they cause can make hair loss worse, and certainly slow hair growth noticeably.
Protecting Thinning Hair The obvious solution is to apply a sunscreen to your head, however most sunscreens aren't really suitable as they will leave a messy residue on your hair.
New "invisible" sunscreens are much better for this, and if used lightly can be very effective without being too noticeable.
Another possibility is the hair loss sufferer's friend, a hat.
As the most simple physical barrier a hat can't be beaten, and has the additional benefit of shading your facial skin from damage as well.
Hair Fibres like Nanofibres are another option.
As they bind to your hair and thicken the area with hair loss they improve the barrier given by your natural hair, as well as disguising the thinning area.
However Nanofibres are limited as a physical barrier because they don't block out 100% of the sun, and so one of the other methods should be used as well.
The last and best option is just to be sensible.
Use any or all of the above methods in combination with eachother, and spend a moderate amount of time out in the sun- not too long.
The most important thing is to realise you are more sensitive to the sun, and take extra care because of this, but you can still enjoy the sunshine.
Risks from dehydration and sunstroke are well documented, but are more dangerous to the young and the elderly.
More common and more dangerous is the over-exposure of your skin to UV radiation, which cause short and long term damage.
UVA Damage Every sunscreen will tell you that it guards against UVA radiation.
This is important as UVA is very high-energy radiation, it doesn't penetrate far but it does extensive damage to your skin close to the surface.
UVA acts primarily by making free radicals which multiply and attack proteins and other key parts of your skin, causing many cells to die and lose cohesion between the structural layers.
The inflammation caused by free radicals is uncomfortable which is why you get "sunburn", but this is the most minor symptom- UVA damage can lead to permanent wrinkles, scars, and worst of all can damage cellular DNA causing skin cancer.
All this damage takes a lot of energy and resources from your body to repair, and in many cases never repairs perfectly, particularly where the damage disrupts the structure of skin layers.
Why is this relevant to Thinning Hair? There are reasons why people with thinning hair have to be more careful than average.
Firstly your hair provides excellent protection from the sun, UVA radiation is absorbed into hair before it reaches the skin.
However if you have thinning hair- even if it isn't an obvious area with no hair, just an area where the hair is more diffuse, the sun will reach your skin.
Scalp skin is more vulnerable to UVA as it has been protected by hair for most of your life, and so the mechanisms to cope with and repair UVA damage are not active.
People with thinning hair who spend a lot of time in the sun may not particularly feel the sun burning, however it will be causing damage as the sun can reach the sensitive skin.
As mentioned before the damage caused by UVA is extensive and takes a lot of energy to repair.
For people with thinning hair this is especially relevant, as their hair needs good nutrition and a stable environment to grow well.
Free radicals and the damage they cause can make hair loss worse, and certainly slow hair growth noticeably.
Protecting Thinning Hair The obvious solution is to apply a sunscreen to your head, however most sunscreens aren't really suitable as they will leave a messy residue on your hair.
New "invisible" sunscreens are much better for this, and if used lightly can be very effective without being too noticeable.
Another possibility is the hair loss sufferer's friend, a hat.
As the most simple physical barrier a hat can't be beaten, and has the additional benefit of shading your facial skin from damage as well.
Hair Fibres like Nanofibres are another option.
As they bind to your hair and thicken the area with hair loss they improve the barrier given by your natural hair, as well as disguising the thinning area.
However Nanofibres are limited as a physical barrier because they don't block out 100% of the sun, and so one of the other methods should be used as well.
The last and best option is just to be sensible.
Use any or all of the above methods in combination with eachother, and spend a moderate amount of time out in the sun- not too long.
The most important thing is to realise you are more sensitive to the sun, and take extra care because of this, but you can still enjoy the sunshine.
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