When you compare the skin of a young child with the skin of your face you'll be able to begin to understand what sun damage looks like. A young child has skin which is uniform in color, carries a radiant translucent glow and smooth texture. By the time most of us reach 30 to 40 years of age we have some redness or blotchiness, some sagging, some wrinkling, brown spots and dry perhaps leathery skin. Most of this is thanks to photoaging - sun damage.

If you believe that the way your face looks at that age is due to normal aging then you need only look at the skin in parts of your body which have been regularly protected from the sun like your upper thighs or the skin on your breasts. Notice the difference? That is how the skin on your face would look if it had not received any sun damage. Of course time does eventually etch lines into the face, but sunlight exposure helps the aging process accelerate dramatically. By the time we reach the age of 18 many of us have already received 80% of our lifetime sun exposure. Skin damage caused by sunlight  builds up from continuous exposure even when you do not burn.According to dermatologists the worst type of sun damage occurs when the skin receives a prolonged dose of sun exposure after weeks or months of hardly any sun exposure at all.

Tanning causes sever damage to your skin in the long run

It is important to know that both UVA and UVB radiation can contribute to skin cancer and photoaging.

UVA Radiation

UVA radiation consists of longer wave lengths than UVB. This may generate fewer burns but it creates more damage the elastic fibers and collagen as it is capable of penetrating deeper into your skin. This of-course can cause wrinkles and skin cancers.
UVA radiation is able to penetrate through windows and through clouds. Tanning salons use this type of radiation so while you may come out of there without a burn you can be sure that you exposed your skin to some radiation damage. In fact tanning yourself using sunbeds is worse than basking in the suns rays because the UVA light tanning beds expose you to are 3 times more concentrated than the suns. One session in a sunbed is the same as a full day at the beach. Tanning beds and skin cancer go hand in hand because most people who use tanning beds do not wear sunscreen thereby dramatically increasing their risk of skin cancer.

UVB Radiation:

UVB emits shorter wavelengths of light and is at its strongest between the hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. UVB rays penetrate the epidermis causing an immediate reaction in the skin in the form of redness and sunburn. This is the type of radiation that is responsible for most sunburns and unfortunately it is the severe sunburns caused in childhood which are responsible for the deadliest skin cancer - melanoma.

To prevent sun damage which is the cause behind wrinkles, age spots, skin cancer and many other things, it is important to always wear sunscreen that blocks both UVB and UVA light. For detailed information on sunscreens and for choosing the correct sunscreen for you please read the following: Wear Sunscreen Guide.