How Sunshine Affects Us—the Good and the Bad

I grew up in the Canadian North, where all summer long, my sisters and I played outside in the sunshine, without a worry in the world about what those long hours in the sun would be doing to our skin.

My mother didn’t worry either, she was happy not to have us “underfoot”, and could get so much done while we were outside, she didn’t hesitate to tell us. Sometimes, on extremely hot days, she would come out carrying our straw hats and insist we put them on—but that was mostly to protect us from sunstroke, not the sunshine, which didn’t concern her in the least. Those were the days before there was any awareness about the dangers of sun exposure.

Later, living in the Pacific North West where I experienced, for the first time, dark and rainy winters, I longed for sun and light, so my vacationing preferences were in hot countries, like Costa Rica, Hawaii and Mexico.

The upshot of this is that I had plenty of sunshine for many years, but all of that changed, during the 1980s, when we finally became aware about sun damage on our faces and bodies. I’m more careful now, especially since we know about ozone depletion and how much stronger sun rays are today.

Some of the reasons we love the sun

The benefits of the sun are felt immediately, the minute it touches your face. Serotonin floods your brain—your mood lifts, and you experience a surge of energy. The sun beckons you to get outside, to walk the dog longer, to get more exercise, to fill your lungs with fresh air, and to alleviate your stress. If you suffer from seasonal disorder, it can disappear in an instant!

One thing leads to another, and before you know it, you are motivated to do more, to enjoy more of your day. Of course, the hormone serotonin is the catalyst in all of this, so it’s not surprising, that levels of serotonin are highest in your system during the summer.

And there’s more, the more sunlight your body gets, the more melatonin your brain produces, melatonin being the chemical that makes you sleepy, and determines how long you will sleep. It’s important to note that as soon as the light in your surroundings dims, your brain begins to produce melatonin, which is known to affect you within two hours.

This benefit will be blocked, however, unless you stop using your TV, computer and phone devices at this time, since the artificial light they emit will interfere with your body’s natural inclination to produce melatonin.

Since the release of serotonin is largely controlled by exposure to natural light, or a lack of it, insomnia frequently affects people who stay out of the sun, use sun screen, and cover their faces—a little known, but very important fact!

There is some hysteria, actually, among skin care specialists, who advocate that people make it a habit to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a physical blocker such as zinc oxide 7 % or higher and an SPF 30 every day, even in the winter and when it’s cloudy. They advise that people wear a large brimmed hat and cover exposed skin with clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt and pants. Measures such as these are extreme, and not helpful in our bid for optimal health—I believe that its good for us to allow at least a little sunshine to touch our skin..

A clear benefit of sunshine is the provision of Vitamin D, a factor in maintaining healthy bone strength, in our bodies. Exposure to the ultraviolet light in sunlight for a mere 15 minutes a day, health authorities claim, can provide all of the Vitamin D. you need.

Why we should limit our time in the sun

It’s a well-known fact that the sun has some negative impact on our skin. You have only to look at the areas of the body that seldom are exposed to the sun (our buttocks, stomach. breasts) to see the difference! But that’s not the complete story—the process of aging itself—skin cells dividing more slowly, the dermis beginning to thin, the inability of the skin to hold on to moisture and make as much oil—all account for changes in the skin. It’s clear that even living in complete dark will not stop your skin from aging, but it’s important to know about the extent to which prolonged exposure can speed the process.

While I am on the topic of aging skin, it’s interesting to note that many people blame exposure to the sun for all facial lines. But there are other factors as well: frown lines and lines around your eyes are most likely caused by your facial expressions. Frowning, squinting, even smiling—all contribute to the lines that give your face expression and character. Only living in a vacuum would prevent that!

A more serious issue

A more serious issue is the progression of cancer of the skin, which is closely related to sun exposure. It is by far the most common of all cancers, and it’s incidence is growing. More rare, but far more dangerous is melanoma, which accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers but causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.

The American Cancer Society states that the risk of melanoma increases as people age, and that the average age of people when it is diagnosed is 63.

The rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years, reflected in the following projections, according to the Cancer Society, for 2019:.

• About 96,480 new melanomas will be diagnosed (about 57,220 in men and 39,260 in women).
• About 7,230 people are expected to die of melanoma (about 4,740 men and 2,490 women).

Those are grim statistics, which underline the importance for being cautious about exposure to the sun. As with everything else though, moderation is the key, ensuring that we allow some of the pleasures and health benefits of sunshine into our lives.

Through the ages, the sun has been an inspiration to poets. Here are two of my favorite sun poems:

Emily Dickenson
I’ll tell you how the sun rose, –
A ribbon at a time.
The steeples swam in amethyst,
The news like squirrels ran.

The hills untied their bonnets,
The bobolinks begun.
Then I said softly to myself,
“That must have been the sun!”

Robert Louis Stevenson
Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.