Chronic exposure to UV radiation, starting in childhood, typically results in a change in the skin's texture. This leads to excessive wrinkles and variable degrees of skin thickening and thinning. After years of excessive exposure, the sun weakens the skin's elasticity, leaving the appearance of sagging cheeks and deeper than normal facial wrinkles. It should be emphasized that these changes are not just due to recent exposure, but to cumulative effects throughout a lifetime. Special attention should be paid to the protection of children who tend to have longer outdoor exposure and may not show the effects of sun damage until much later in life.
Cataracts are a major cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide.
If it is necessary to spend time in the sun, protective clothing with a tight weave, long-sleeved shirts, and hats with brims should be worn to help reduce the effects of ultraviolet rays. Direct exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest, should be avoided. Most damaging exposure to sunlight occurs before the age of 20. Infants under 6 months of age should always be kept out of the sun, and young children should be taught sun protection at the earliest possible age. Sunscreens and sunblocks are applied to the skin to either absorb or reflect the sun's harmful rays.