Sun damage is worse than smoking as far as your skin is concerned - and for many of us tanning can be just as addictive.

The thing is it seems so healthy being out and about in the glorious sunshine.  And to a degree - a very small degree - it is.  We need about 20 minutes unprotected exposure to the sun to make the Vitamin D our bodies need for optimum health.

But make no mistake about it - if you want younger looking skin you have to avoid a deep tan at all costs.  A light golden glow is your limit and even better if you get it out of a bottle.  

It's all to do with external aging.  Not much you can do about your genes - the skin you inherit will determine to a degree how you age.  But you have a huge part to play in making lifestyle choices which either benefit or damage the skin you were born with.  As far as younger looking skin is concerned - smoking and tanning are the two worst lifestyle choices you can make and sun damage is the single most aging thing you can do to your skin.

So - how does the sun damage your skin?  How long have you got - the list is long and not very pretty?

Loss of elasticity

Thinning of the surface layer of the skin

Premature wrinkles

Increase in permanent skin reddening including spider veins

Age spots and uneven pigmentation including white spots

If you're a smoker - the effect of all of this will be much worse.  And just because you have darker or olive skin don't think you escape.  A tan of any sort is evidence of injury to the epidermis or top layer of the skin.

You may think this is exaggerated - especially if you can't see the damage to your skin yet.  Try getting a scan done to show the existing level of UV damage your skin has sustained which you can't see.

Of course you can still enjoy the great outdoors - even when the sun is at its hottest - as long as you follow the golden rules.  They can best be summarized as: protect your skin with a broad spectrum high factor sunscreen; cover up and seek shade when sun is at its hottest. 

If the single most aging thing you can do to yourself is to get a suntan - do yourself a real favor this summer. 

Follow the golden rules and keep your younger looking skin for as long as possible!

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