Keeping your skin safe and healthy
It is always so important that you are taking care of yourself and your skin at all times. There can often be confusion around the meaning of certain terms and the damage certain things can do to your skin so in this blog we will be outlining the differences between the terms UVB and UVA and the effects they have on your skin.
UVA
UVA stands for Ultra Violet Alpha, these have the longest wavelengths that penetrate the middle layer of your skin known as the dermis which then causes damage to the skin's cells. These wavelengths are typically found in sunbeds as UVA contributes to sunburn, ageing skin and skin cancer through the process of oxidative injury which means damage to the cell from free radicals.
The Ultra Violet Alpha ignites epidermal melanin, meaning instant tanning of the skin as well as melanin production, the process of delayed tanning. This protects the skin by soaking up UVR - Ultra Violet Radiation within the first three layers of the skin.
UVB
UVB however, stands for Ultra Violet Beta which has a medium wavelength ranging between 280-315nm. The majority of the solar UVB is in fact filtered naturally by the atmosphere. Although it still penetrates the skin, it only penetrates into the epidermis and not the dermis layer of your skin.
Ultra Violet Beta has higher energy than UVA, therefore meaning it can cause more damage to the epidermal cell known as your DNA.
On a more positive note, similarly to UVA, the UVB also stimulates the production of melanin, making your skin have darker pigmentation. This does not mean you don’t have to be careful with how much your skin is exposed to UVB as it is also the main cause of both skin cancer and sunburn which are crucial to the health of your skin.
Phototherapy
Phototherapy is a medical treatment that consists of exposing the skin to fluorescent light bulbs, halogen lights, sunlight and LED’s in order to treat certain medical conditions. It can also be referred to as light therapy or heliotherapy.
There are a variety of phototherapy types and a range of different techniques used by your nurse or doctor. These are dependent on your specific skin condition. Phototherapy has been used for medical treatments for over 3,000 years and has developed and evolved over the more recent years.
The conditions that phototherapy can help are likes of eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, itchy skin and more. The process involves the use of UV light to weaken the cell growth as well as inflammation.
In order to see lasting results, you may have to undergo multiple sessions of the treatment, which is known as maintenance therapy.
In our clinic, we offer a light therapy treatment called the ‘Dermalux Flexi’. This incredible treatment combines clinically proven blue, red and near-infrared wavelengths to improve the collagen and elastin in which your skin produces. As a result of this, it improves redness, irritation, pigmentation and the bacteria that cause blemishes to appear.
The best part about the treatment is that it is painless and quick and is suitable for most skin types and NO downtime.
We do offer individual treatments as a one-off
or we offer the ‘Dermalux Flexi PLan’ which includes a bulk of 14 treatments in order to achieve optimal results.
For more information about this treatment, please feel free to send us a message on our social media platforms, where you can book your consultation as well.
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