Sunburn

With the lovely sunny climate, hot weather and long days it is very easy for us to become sunburned when enjoying the outdoors.

Sunburn is more common in summer for a few reasons:

• The sun is ‘higher’ in the sky compared to other seasons which increases the intensity of the radiation,
• the long days and plenty of sun makes us more likely to enjoy the beautiful environment the we have in Central Victoria, and
• the hot weather means that we are more likely to expose skin either by wearing less clothing or by swimming.

All of these factors mean that we need to be extra careful of the sun over summer.

The best defence against sunburn is staying out of the sun, but it is really important of the health of all our other organs to make sure we get enough exercise. Sunscreen can help prevent sunburn but with the variety of products available, it can be very difficult to know exactly which one is ideal for you.

The pharmacists at UFS can recommend the best one for each and every person. For example, SPF (sun-protection-factor) is only one factor which determines the effectiveness of sunscreen. We have sunscreens which are designed for children, swimmers, athletes, everyday use, whole body, face, eyes, nose, lips, zinc based, gels, sprays and lotions. We have clear sunscreens, tanning sunscreens and face creams. And if the worst does happen we have a wide range of therapies for burned skin which can help both the pain involved, and also help the burns to recover better and reduce scarring.