Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Sometimes it’s hard to remember to put on sunscreen when you go outside. Therefore, cloudy winter weather may seem like an excuse not to use it.
A tweet by the Saudi Ministry of Health indicated the need to wear sunscreen even during cloudy winter weather to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays.
It is important to protect yourself from UV rays all year round, not just during the summer, according to the official website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Control (CDC).
UV rays can reach you even on a cold, cloudy day, and can reflect off surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Health website, the sun’s rays that reach us consist of two types of harmful rays, which are long-wave ultraviolet rays and short-wave ultraviolet rays.
Here are some of its disadvantages and characteristics:
Long wave ultraviolet rays:
- These rays cause aging of the skin, and lead to the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation
- It can penetrate window glass, and deep skin layers as well
Short wave ultraviolet rays:
- These rays cause burns in the superficial layers of the skin
- Its effect appears in the form of darkening and burning of the skin
It should be noted that both of them damage the skin, and cause skin cancer.
