What is the difference between a UVA and UVB ray?

Ultraviolet A (UVA) has a longer wavelength, and is associated with skin aging. Ultraviolet B (UVB) has a shorter wavelength and is associated with skin burning.

Do all sunscreens have UVA and UVB protection?

Only Broad Spectrum Sunscreens also protect you from UVA rays, the type that cause suntan and skin aging. Remember, UVB = burn, UVA = aging. The US and Canada do not require that sunscreens offer any UVA protection.

How can you protect yourself from UVA and UVB rays?

To protect yourself from UV radiation: Wear a wide brim hat to shade your face, head, ears, and neck. Wear wraparound sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher, for both UVA and UVB protection. Avoid indoor tanning.

Which rays are worse UVA or UVB?

Both UVA and UVB rays are capable of damaging your skin. UVA rays can penetrate your skin more deeply and cause your skin cells to age prematurely. The other 5 percent of UV rays are UVB. They have higher energy levels than UVA rays, and typically damage the outermost layers of your skin, causing sunburn.

Is UVB harmful to humans?

UVB is known to cause DNA damage and is a risk factor in developing skin cancer and cataracts.

How do I know if my sunscreen is UVA or UVB?

There’s only one way to tell whether your sunscreen offers UVA coverage: the words “broad spectrum.” Only 34% of people in the study named “broad spectrum” labeling as an influence in their choice to buy a sunscreen, but they’re the two most crucial words to look for on a sunscreen label, Kundu says, because there’s no …

Does UVA or UVB cause tanning?

UVB radiation burns the upper layers of skin (the epidermis), causing sunburns. UVA radiation is what makes people tan. UVA rays penetrate to the lower layers of the epidermis, where they trigger cells called melanocytes (pronounced: mel-an-oh-sites) to produce melanin. Melanin is the brown pigment that causes tanning.

Does UVA or UVB produce vitamin D?

Sunlight contains two forms of radiant energy, ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). UVB provides the energy your skin needs to make vitamin D, but that energy can burn the skin and increase the cell damage that leads to cancer. UVA also contributes to skin damage and premature aging.

Are UVB lights safe?

The maximum dose for narrowband UV-B is 3 Joules per treatment. This low dosage does not increase the risk of skin cancer and UV-B phototherapy remains a very safe treatment. Too much UV ultraviolet radiation of an undesirable wavelength may lead to direct DNA damage, sunburn, and skin cancer.