We are all well aware that as well as being good for the body, the sun can also damage the skin and the body. It is not just cancer that is the problem, but there is also burning of the skin as well as having skin that has aged.

Now the sun has three different ray types. Are you aware of them and do you which is the most dangerous?

UVC – this does not really bother the skin at all and the ozone layer manages to prevent this from entering the atmosphere.

UVB – this can affect the skin especially the outer layers. This is what causes the skin to burn.

UVA – this is the main contributor to developing cancer of the skin. UVA is able to travel much further into the skin than UVB and therefore can cause more damage.

As well as causing problems to the skin, your eyes are also at risk from the sun.

Excessive skin exposure can actually can the texture of the skin to change and it can get thinner or even thicker in some cases. Thick skin appears with lots of wrinkles. Thin skin has more bruising and fine lines.

Radiation from the sun is not always powerful and your weather forecast will be able to tell you how strong the sun will be on any day and also the best times to avoid the sun, as that is when the sun will be at its hottest. The hotter and higher the sun, the more chance you have of developing a serious condition such as cancer.

A range of things can affect the radiation of the sun. If snow is on the ground this simply reflects the rays of the sun into the body, so you are still at risk even during the winter months.