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Sunbaker, by Max Dupain. Exposure of skin to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight presents both positive and negative health effects. On the positive side, UV exposure enables the synthesis of vitamin D 3, which is essential for bone health [1] and potentially plays a role in inhibiting certain cancers.
Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight , and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun.
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can lead to melanoma and other skin malignancies. [4] Clear evidence establishes ultraviolet radiation, especially the non-ionizing medium wave UVB, as the cause of most non-melanoma skin cancers, which are the most common forms of cancer in the world. [4]
UV-B lamps are lamps that emit a spectrum of ultraviolet light with wavelengths ranging from 290–320 nanometers. This spectrum is also commonly called the biological spectrum due to the human body's sensitivity to light of such a wavelength. [1] UV-B light does not tan the skin very much, compared to the UV-A lamps that are used in tanning beds.
One of the largest promoters of apoptosis is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. While UV light is essential to human life it can also cause harm by inducing cancer, immunosuppression, photoaging, inflammation, and cell death. [1] Of the various components of sunlight, ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) (290-320 nm) is considered to be the most harmful.
Ultraviolet radiation is known to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammatory responses. Light therapy for skin conditions like psoriasis usually use 313 nanometer UVB though it may use UVA (315–400 nm wavelength) or a broader spectrum UVB (280–315 nm wavelength). UVA combined with psoralen, a drug taken orally, is known as PUVA ...
Radiation hormesis is the conjecture that a low level of ionizing radiation (i.e., near the level of Earth's natural background radiation) helps "immunize" cells against DNA damage from other causes (such as free radicals or larger doses of ionizing radiation), and decreases the risk of cancer. The theory proposes that such low levels activate ...
The body uses UV light to generate vitamin D so there is a need to balance getting enough sunlight to maintain healthy vitamin D levels and reducing the risk of melanoma; it takes around a half-hour of sunlight for the body to generate its vitamin D for the day and this is about the same amount of time it takes for fair-skinned people to get a ...