We often look for shade to protect ourselves from scorching sun rays. Even though shade helps escape the hot sun and gives huge relief, it hardly protects the skin from harmful UV rays.
If you ponder whether you can get tan in the shade, the answer is probably yes; developing tan in the shade is entirely possible. However, it depends on what type of shade you are under.
How Can You Get Tan In The Shade?
Sitting directly under the sun to tan is a great way to achieve it. But, if you sit inside a shade like a beach umbrella or trees, your skin can still develop a tan. It is because the sun reflects off the environment that may come in contact with your exposed skin and develop a tan.
Besides, there are other factors too, like:
- Bright snow
- Pale beach sand
- Mirror
If you are sitting in the shade where there are shiny surfaces or substances like bright snow, pale beach sand, or mirror, the sun rays will reflect in greater intensity. If these reflected rays are falling on your skin, the chances of developing an increase.
At the same time, whether you can tan in the shade or not also depends on the type of shade you are under. Some shades that provide good protection from the sun include-
- Beach umbrellas and shades with UPF rating
- Thick shades of building
- Sitting under the shades with no reflecting surfaces and substances.
These shades can provide a certain level of protection, but they are still not completely safe.
Does All Shade Provide Equal Protection?
No, every shade is different, and so is their level of protection from harmful UV rays. For instance, shades that are thick, like coming from a building, will offer more protection. Likewise, shades from cloth or beach umbrellas won’t be as protective as the building shade.
It is largely because the harmful UV rays could easily pass through thin cotton material shades and umbrellas with no UPF rating. If you are inside a beach umbrella or shade cloth, you might get certain protection, but still, it is advised to wear sunscreen and protective clothing.
How To Protect Skin From Harmful Uv Rays In The Shade?
The best and most effective way of protecting the skin is wearing it using extra protection. It can be done in the following ways-
Wear Your Sunscreen- If you think you are going to sit under the shade all the time and, therefore, there is no need to wear sunscreen, you are wrong. As soon as you head out of the home, apply a good amount of sunscreen whether you are sitting under the shade.
Wear Sunglasses- The skin around your eyes is very sensitive to sun rays. Direct and indirect exposure to sun rays can make the delicate skin around the eyes prone to aging. The chances of wrinkles around the eyes increase if you do not protect them from sunglasses.
You may feel some relief from hot sun rays in the shade and feel cooler; the reflected rays can still damage the skin. If you do not apply sunscreen, you may end up developing a tan by the end of the day.
How To Avoid Sunburn?
If you want to upkeep the skin’s health, it is essential to know how to avoid sunburn that may occur even when you are in the shade. Sun can severely damage healthy skin, and once done, this damage is often irreversible.
Here are a few ways that can help you avoid sunburn even if you plan to sit under an umbrella all through the day-
1. Avoid Peak Sun Hours
Usually, the sun is at its peak between 10 AM to 4 PM. This is when UV rays hit the hardest on the earth, making skin vulnerable to sun damage. It is when you can get the most sunburned if proper care is not taken.
Besides 10 AM to 4 PM, other factors that contribute to how strong the sun’s rays are at certain points include-
- Higher altitudes have stronger UV rays
- Spring and summers offer stronger UV rays
- If the area is closer to the equator, the sunlight strength would be higher
- If you are around reflective surfaces like snow, ice, sand, etc. UV rays can hit stronger.
2. Wear Proper Clothing
If you live in areas where sun rays hit with more intensity, it is better to wear clothes that offer more protection. If the cloth has a UPF rating, it will protect you better from UV rays.
Fabrics and conditions that make fabric more protective include the following-
- Thickly or densely woven fabric offers more protection.
- Clothes with darker dyes absorb more light, making them more resistant to sunlight and more protective than lighter colors.
3. Accessorize
Some accessories keep you safe from scorching sun rays, like a wide-brimmed hat that covers your face, neck, and ears and sunglasses. Make sure to wear sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection.
Final words
It is possible to develop a tan in the shade because the sun’s harsh rays reflect off the surfaces and reach your skin. Therefore, protecting the skin by wearing broad-spectrum SPF, sun-protecting clothes, and accessories like sunglasses and hats is the right way to keep it safe from sun damage.
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