Algarve Sun and You

Getting some Algarve sun on my skin is great - but I'm careful! It's not for nothing that a beach parasol is this website's logo!

It’s great to take a vacation somewhere like Algarve, with its famed 3000+ hours of sunshine every year…

…but it’s also important  to remember to give the sun the respect it deserves. So, if you can’t tell your SPF from your UVR, you’ve arrived at the right place!

There are two aspects to the danger that overexposure to the Algarve sun can pose: the long-term peril of skin cancer is well known, and is increasingly considered in media reports. The short-term effects are just as perilous, however, perhaps even more so.

Read on to discover how to protect yourself from the worst risks associated with overexposure.

Algarve Sun Screen

While we all know more than we used to about being wary of direct sunlight, there have been many developments that may have passed you by, so here are some easy-to-digest nuggets of solar know-how to get you right up to date about how to cope with the Algarve sun.

Algarve Sun - UVR

The villain of the piece is Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR), which is what does the damage to your skin cells. Dried out and wrinkled skin is the result of overexposure to the UVR that is present even during overcast days.

UVR is subdivided into UVA, UVB and UVC. The ‘C’ flavour doesn’t make it through the Earth’s atmosphere at intensities great enough to worry you, but its friends A and B are bad enough to make up for this. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin because of their longer wavelength. They are mainly responsible for the production of melanin, which is what results in a ‘suntan’. UVB rays with their shorter wavelengths affect the outer skin layers, contributing to sunburn and redness.

Both can have a damaging effect of your skin, you should remember.

Sun Protection Factor

Usually shortened to SPF, this is the measure of effectiveness of a sun protection product’s ability to shield the skin from harm. The higher the quoted value of SPF, the more protection a product should offer. The SPF value is supposed to indicate the shortest time of sun exposure that would lead to sunburn.

As an example, if the Algarve sun on a particular day would cause sunburn in 10 minutes, then a SPF of 10 would give ten times that period before the same effect was felt, (that is, 100 minutes, or 10 times 10). A value of 20 SPF would allow 200 minutes before onset of sunburn for this particular example.

Algarve Sun Precautions

While we all love the Algarve for its wonderful sunny climate, it does demand more care with regard to skin protection. For that reason, a minimum SPF of 40 is usually recommended. Needless to say, the greater the SPF, the more you can expect to pay for a product.

It’s a dilemma, isn’t it? We all like that healthy, tanned look, but who wants prematurely aged skin? Many golfers, it seems, think that a few hours spent enjoying a round under the Algarve sun requires no consideration of skin protection. Men, you will be amazed to learn, are more gung-ho about such carelessness than we women. Score one for the females, I say!

A serious point, though, when you think of it. Skin cancer is a problem that seems to be on the increase lately, so it’s best to be safe.

Why be foolhardy? While there’s no reason to stay indoors and miss that fabulous weather, the direct Algarve sun, at its most intense between 12 noon and 3 pm, is probably best avoided. And when you are out and about, make sure you apply that skin protection product. Buy the highest factor you can find, preferably with filtration properties that will foil both UVA and UVB.

Some products even claim anti-ageing effects, but anything that will prevent sunburn and skin damage will do just fine! Others claim to be waterproof, but it’s wisest not to take chances. If you’ve been for a dip, have a friend or partner apply more protective cream to your skin.

Algarve Sun - Short-term Dangers

For some reason, we seem to hear and read much less about these than about skin damage and the like, and I don't know why that should be.

In brief, exposure to the sun means that your body heats up, as the shortwave radiation encounters the solid object and turns to longwave radiation.

Normally, your internal thermometer reacts to any demands and uses a number of temperature-stabilizing tricks like perspiration to cope.

Given sufficient heat, however, the capacity to regulate temperature via perspiration becomes less effective, and the body's internal temperature rises. If you've been drinking too little, your state of dehydration can also contribute to speeding up the core-heating process.

This can lead to the onset of sunstroke, more properly termed 'heatstroke'. Now, almost everyone will know one or both of the terms, but how many are aware of the symptoms and, more importantly, the dangers to life and health?

Heatstroke can develop quickly, once your body's regulatory defences have been breached. Unless you receive correct treatment, and quickly, it is possible that permanent damage can be caused to internal organs and even to the brain.

Symptoms such as headaches, tiredness, disorientation, confusion and vertigo are not always recognised, or may even not be obvious to onlookers.  Heartrate may soar, but this is not perceptible to those around you.

Increased risks can be caused by medical conditions. Any condition that inhibits your body's ability to perspire could accelerate the onset of heatstroke. The elderly and alcoholics are also under increased risk of early onset of heatstroke.

While it is important to recognize the condition in others and to call immediately for medical assistance, there are vital steps that should be taken to minimise the effects of the malady.

Wet towels or other wetted material should be used to cover the body and help to cool it. Bodily submersion in the shallows, if calm enough, might also be considered. If there's ice available close by, it can be used as a cooling 'rub' held inside a handkerchief or other suitable material.

These actions may prove the difference between survival and death for a victim of heatstroke. If you brief the others sharing your vacation about them, it might even be your life they save!

Summary:

• Enjoy the wonderful Algarve sun during your vacation, but don’t forget to slap on protective creams.

• Don't sunbathe on your own, in case you fall asleep and stay exposed for longer than you intended.

• It's best to use some form of shade when you're stretched out. In fact, you'll get enough rays to help your tan just from reflected solar radiation from sand and sea. A porous material used as a sunshade will limit the amount of radiation that is allowed to fall upon your skin.

• Drink regularly, and don't wait until you're thirsty before you take on some water. Remember that alcohol has a diuretic effect and makes your body lose more moisture.

You can find lots of information on the Algarve by visiting the Site Map page.

And you can keep up with the good stuff that's happening in the Algarve, by simply...

...subscribing to my monthly newsletter, Algarve Beach Life News. Just click on the link below ("For Lovers of Algarve Beach Life") or on the button at top left ("Subscribe to ABLN") -- I'll keep you updated, every month, about the new information I have added about this wonderful region.
 

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