UVA

Ten Quick and Easy Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer

April 6, 2017 by Carol S 1 Comment

Spring has sprung and with it, thoughts of being outdoors. But before you head to the beach, won’t you protect yourself against skin cancer? What if we promise that there are some easy ways to give your skin a break? After all, about 20% of Americans will develop some form of skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology says skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.

Clothing Is Your First Line of Defense

Big hats and long sleeves can be chic! Don’t roast in the sun like a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. The Skin Cancer Foundation has some detailed tips on sun-safe clothing that you might want to try. They recommend long sleeved shirts with a tight weave, for instance. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation “Look for garments with a UPF of at least 30 so that you know you’re getting effective sun protection.”

Protect Your Eyes

You might want your eyes to be fashionable, but your eyes also need protection. Big glasses, like the ones Jackie O used to wear, will give you lots of protection. Make sure your shades block both UVA and UVB light. The Skin Cancer Foundation has a nifty article on how to select the perfect sunglasses, by the way.

Hint: Your sunglasses should block 99-100 percent of the sun’s UV rays. Check the tag on the packaging to ensure this, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Giant Hat

Think Beach Blanket Babylon. Not really, but a big hat that covers your face, with at least a 3″ brim, will help a lot to prevent cancer. And also, big hats are cool! Baseball caps aren’t the best choice, since they leave your ears and neck exposed. You want a real hat, not something that’s necessarily the most chic.

tanning photo — Photo by earthlydelights

Sunscreen

You already knew this one, right? And the SPF should be at least 30, which filters out about 97% of the harmful rays, if used correctly. The American Cancer Society has a terrific article on how to choose the right sunscreen. In it, they suggest a broad spectrum sunshade. That is, a sunshade that protects against both UVA and UVB.

Timing

Staying out of the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., when sun is the strongest, is one of the simplest way to avoid overexposure. Here are some more ways to avoid exposure, according to the American Skin Organization. One simple way to know when sun is the strongest, they say, is the saying Short Shadow, Seek Shade.

Avoid Indoor Tanning

Despite what we know about the dangers of tanning, many people still use tanning beds. They also use tanning lamps to get what they consider a “healthy glow.” But that healthy glow is anything but. Indoor tanning is especially popular among teens and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “A tan is the body’s response to injury from UV rays, showing that damage has been done. It does little to protect you from future UV exposure.”

Be a Shade-Seeking Beast

If you must be in the sun between 10 and 4, then be under a big umbrella, wearing a big hat, with giant sunglasses and sunscreen. If you must be out with your friends who love the sun, practice shaking your head at them when they suggest you wear skimpy clothes and frolic in the noonday sun. “Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out in the Noon Day Sun” you can say to them. They’ll wonder what you’re talking about, but they’ll sneak off to look it up on Google.

Shade Cloth and Awnings

Shade sail canopies and awnings are wonderful ways to prevent sunburns and overexposure. If you do a search on Google or Pinterest, you’ll find some very pretty options to prevent overexposure for you and your bbq guests if you live in a sunny area, such as California. Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, where we’re famous for foggy days, UV rays are a problem–UV rays penetrate clouds and fog. Look for shade cloth that protects from harmful UV rays.

Use Extra Caution Near Water, Sand, or Snow

Water, sand, and snow can intensify the negative effects of the sun, and result in sunburn. We all know someone who’s come back from skiing with the raccoon eyes they got because they skipped the sunscreen. Don’t be that raccoon!

Our Favorite – Window Film

In case you didn’t know, window film is like putting sunscreen on your windows! Your furnishings will absolutely thank you for the assistance. Without window film, your couch, your rug, and your skin can be damaged by the sun coming through your windows. Here are some articles for more information:

Have An Unusual Way to Avoid Skin Cancer?

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Afraid of the Sun? You Should Be!

November 14, 2016 by Carol S Leave a Comment

Recently, during a Twitter chat, a few of us were talking about good blog posts, and Floors to Your Home, an Indianapolis-based Flooring specialist, suggested discussing window film and how it prevents premature aging. So here you go!

A1: Or, for us skincare nerds, how window film prevents premature aging. #constchat

— Floors To Your Home (@FTYHFlooring) October 13, 2016

Sunlight, Your Skin and UV Rays

Sunlight is made up of harmful UVA and UVB that can cause premature aging as well as more serious conditions. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation “UV radiation is considered the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). These cancers strike more than a million and more than 250,000 Americans, respectively, each year.”

Window Film Blocks Harmful UV Rays

According to 3M™ “By reducing the amount of heat gained through transmission of sunlight, 3M™ Window Films let in the natural light you love while rejecting heat and UV rays.” And 3M Window Film blocks up to 99% of harmful UV rays–the rays that cause skin damage and premature aging. So imagine if you will having sunblock that encases all your windows and protects your skin against premature aging. It’s like that.

Want Younger-Looking Skin?

Stop thinking of window film as a luxury, and instead allocate some money to your health care budget. Window film takes the worry out of blocking UV rays, and it can be used on your home, your business, or your car. Skin damage is cumulative, so a little prevention goes a long way towards keeping your skin healthy. According to WebMD:

“Sun exposure causes most of the skin changes that we think of as a normal part of aging. Over time, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin.”

Elastin Keeps Skin Elastic

Without elastin, the skin can’t “bounce back” like it does with children. So keeping out of the sun, or protecting your windows with window film, help to prevent the damage from UV rays that cause the loss of elastin to your skin.

Every Little Bit Helps

While window film isn’t your entire skin care strategy, it certainly helps. Nobody wants to have to protect their skin indoors, but that’s exactly what you need to do if you have windows!

Got Questions?

Call our office in Santa Clara, California! We can help.

Residential Window Film Can Protect Your Family

July 29, 2015 by Window Works 2 Comments

You have the best health insurance, including dental and emergency coverage. You always use seat belts in the car. And you make sure that your kids look both ways before crossing the street. But did you know that ultraviolet (“UV”) light could be hurting your family? Yes, it’s true. Let us count the ways.

Premature Skin Aging

While the sun has positive benefits, UVA rays penetrate the atmosphere and can cause your beautiful skin to age prematurely. Excess radiation can cause damage at the DNA level and can lead to wrinkles, sun spots, and skin cancer. UV light can penetrate ordinary glass and cause it to multiply its negative effects. Fortunately, window film blocks the UVA light that enters your windows. This film blocks up to 99.9 percent of UV radiation and lets in up to 80 percent of visible light. For more information about UVA and UVB, see this excellent article from Skin Cancer.org.

Keep Your Family's Eyes Safe with Window Film — Keep Your Family’s Eyes Safe with Window Film

Eye Damage

The sun can cause damage to the eyes which accumulates in later life. Conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts can be caused by too much solar radiation. At the beach, sunscreen and sunglasses, as well as a large hat, should be used. The American Optometric Association has guidelines for caring for your eyes. Luckily, window film will protect your family’s eyes in your own home by keeping UV radiation from entering your windows.

The sun can severely damage your furniture

Damage to Furniture

Fading, discoloration and fabric breakdown are three problems that can be easily preventable with window film. Even if your area is foggy, UV radiation can cause damage to your rugs and beautiful furniture, as outlined in this article from Houzz on how to prevent sun damage indoors. And by the way, if you have big windows, applying window film is not a DIY project–we recommend that you call in an expert. We are located in the San Francisco Bay Area if you need us.

Skin Cancer

Exposure to UV radiation puts you and your family at risk for skin cancer. The time of day, time of year, cloud cover, and altitude all change the strength of the UV rays. Outdoors, clothing and skin protection can help alleviate some risk. Indoors, much of this risk can be avoided by applying window film.

Children Are More Vulnerable

Severe sunburns as a child severely increase an individual’s risk for developing skin cancer. Children need to wear hats, sunscreen, and avoid the sun when it’s at its most harsh, between 10 am and 4 pm. Indoors, you can use window film to protect the little ones.

What's More Important Than Your Family's Health? — What’s More Important Than Your Family’s Health?

Protect Your Family

We’d love to talk to you about different types of window film for your home. We’re near the San Jose Airport, and travel up and down the San Francisco peninsula all the way up to San Francisco.

How Window Film Protects Your Skin

June 24, 2015 by Window Works 4 Comments

You might think that window film is only aesthetic: it makes your car or building look snazzy and reduces glare while you’re driving or seated near a window. But did you know that window film also protects your skin? Here are a few ways it can protect your epidermis.

Ultra Violet Radiation

Ultra violet (“UV”) radiation travels through both your home and car windows, and can damage your skin. Some people think that glass protects them from UV rays, but only car windshields block UVA and UVB rays. On the side and rear car windows, most UVA is not blocked, as explained in this article from the Melanoma Education Foundation. Window film blocks this dangerous radiation, protecting your skin.

Ultraviolet-A Rays Penetrating the Atmosphere

Left-Side Cancer

Drivers with left-hand drive develop more skin damage and cancer. Even with the windows up, UV radiation gets in and hits your skin, causing more damage to the left side than to the right. “Long-time drivers are found to have rougher, more pigmented skin with greater solar damage on their driver’s side,” noted Albert Kligman, MD, PhD, emeritus professor of dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Philadelphia, according to a post from the Skin Cancer Foundation’s website. In countries where drivers sit on the right side, there is more right-side cancer.

Long-Wave UVA Rays

Most car windows offer little to no protection from the long-wave UVA rays that can cause serious damage to your skin. Sometimes the front windshield can offer a little, as mentioned above, but nowhere near what you would get with window film. But window film blocks up to 99.9 percent of UV radiation.

Exposure to UV Radiation is Cumulative

Those UV rays are sneaky and the damage is cumulative. Even if you can’t see the damage with your eyes, the damage is occurring. Wrinkles, sun (or “liver”) spots, and cancer are three of the ways that your skin can be damaged. And it’s not always easy to remember to apply sunscreen or wear a hat, so window film protects you even when you’re not thinking about protecting your own skin.

Window Film Can Help Prevent Skin Damage

In addition to wearing sunscreen, avoiding the sun between 10:00 and 2:00 (according to the Mayo Clinic) and wearing a wide-brimmed hat, window film is one of the best investments you can make to prevent skin damage. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends window tint as part of a comprehensive skin care program.

Need Help Deciding Which Window Film Is Best?

Give Window Works a call to see which window film would be best for either your car or your building. We are located in Santa Clara, near the San Jose Airport, and our crew travels throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.