Tanning
It is a common practice among the whites to sunbathe for tanning their skins. After regular sunbathing their skin takes a dark tan which they consider makes them look more beautiful. Europeans do prolonged sunbathing to darken their skins faster.
Melanin is the pigment in the skin which gives a dark colour. Among the whites melanin pigments are present in the deeper layers of the skin called the malpighian layer. We went to Gorai beach in Mumbai (Aug. 97). We spent a few hours on the beach in the afternoon when it was very hot. There was high tide. The exposed skin of the body, particularly around the neck and shoulders reddened considerably, was itchy and we were very uncomfortable with a burning sensation.
A few days later the affected skin peeled off by bits, as it healed. It is common knowledge that exposure to midday summer sun results in the reddening of the skin. After a day or so the erythema fades gradually and is replaced by brown colouration due to accumulation of melanin pigments, this well call “sun-tan”. About 20 hours after exposure to ultraviolet rays, some of this melanin begins to migrate towards the surface.
Following this there is production of new pigments in the basal cell layer, thus the skin starts getting darker after regular sunbathing. When these people return to work after holidaying in the sun the skin remains tanned for a few weeks. Thereafter the melanin pigments becomes much lighter. But they become darker if exposed to ultraviolet rays for a few days.
It exposed too long there may be some blistering and peeling off of the superficial layer. This is called sun-burn. Among the Negroes the sun burn is much less severe and erythema may be slight due to the presence of excessive pigments in the skin. The idea of sunlight is good for you is so established in public mind that an overdose on the part of many seems almost inevitable. It will be worth remembering that sun bathing is good for you, but in excess can be bad.
In all parts of the world they are trying to harvest the cheap source of energy from the sun. Why not we start harvesting the cheapest medical aid from the sun. If the skin is subjected to increasing intensities of heat the sensation of warmth, heat and pain are elicited successively. The maximum intensity of sunlight is sufficient to produce the sensation of heat but does not produce pain except after sunburn.
The amount of radiant energy required to produce skin damage is about 10 times than that required to produce pain. This is why a direct exposure to sun never produces burn. Pain and burning can occur if the sunlight is focussed with a lens. When a person is sunbathing he usually feels the sensation of mild warmth from sunlight, unless the skin happens to be already irritated by sunburn.
The body gives out a certain amount of heat all the time from its own metabolism. The channel of loss is conduction convection (evaporation of sweat and moisture from lungs) and radiation. Thus when we are exposed to ice we lose heat. We gain it from hot rocks. The same is true of the solar energy. When the sun is too hot we receive heat from the sun. Part of it comes directly and part of it after getting reflected from the terrain.
If a man walks in desert at the rate of 3 miles per hour he will lose approximately 882 gm of water in one hour. This is why those having to work in a hot climate feel thirsty most of the time. Humidity also makes a lot of difference. If sunbathing on the rock or near green foliage, the temperature will be low near the green foliage than on the rock due to the evaporation of water from greenery. Evaporation adjusts itself due to sweating in such a way that the body temperature does not rise excessively.
There is some confusion over whether the protection of the body from the sun is only done by the formation of melanin pigmentation. One more important factor comes into reckoning. That is the thickening of the most superficial layer of skin called epidermal thickening. The result of the action of the ultraviolet radiation on the skin is rapid. It causes proliferation of the two layers of epidermis – corneum and malpighian. The thickening of corneum results in marked decrease in the amount of sunburn reducing radiation that reaches the malpighian layer.
Thus the effectiveness of corneum as filter is increased. The skin becomes less sensitive to sunburn. Among the black skinned the thickening of the corneum is the principal means for protection of the skin from sunburn apart from melanin formation. Corneum in them is much thicker. This is why they are less susceptible to sunburn. Skin cancer is caused use to prolonged and excessive exposure to sun. This is more common among the white skinned people and less in negroes.
Eyes
The eyes are our most prized possession. We have to be careful no to harm our eyes while sunbathing. If the sun’s rays reach in a big quantity to the image producing screen of the eyes, the retina, it may get damaged. Our elders advises us not to look at the sun eclipse directly. It could cause eclipse blindness. When we look directly into the sun or in bright sunlight we may get pain in the eyes or have disturbances of vision, photophobia (fear from light), congestion of conjunctiva., excessive secretion and swelling depending upon the extent of injury. Such symptoms may also occur when the sun is bright over a snow field.
When there is a good deal of diffused reflection of sunlight that reaches the eyes it may lead to “snow blindness”. Normally, the wave lengths of the sun’s rays which can cause damage to the retina are absorbed in superficial layers of the eyes and do not cause any damage.
When the sun is bright it is better to wear good quality sunglasses. These should be designed in a way that they reduce the total amount of energy reaching the retina. It is not true that ultraviolet rays can cause cataract. This however can be brought about by lower temperature sources such as glass blowers furnaces which we call “glass blower’s cataract”. It has more emission of infrared than sunlight.
The sun has many good effects on the body apart from the environmental factor. It influences the temperature of wind and ocean currents. It has its effect on rainfall and most important of all photosynthesis of plants.
Relax as you Sunbathe
You can mix sunbathing with relaxation. Lie in the sun, in a park, a mountain or a beach, near the lake or river, any place of your choice. It should be secluded and quiet. Remove the maximum amount of clothes as possible. Find a suitable place, lie down, comfortably. Take three deep breaths slowly deep in and out. Exhaling completely. As you exhale feel that you are exhaling out your tension. You feel that the sun is slowly warming the body.
The air is clean and fresh and you can feel the breeze touching the body and flowing over it. You could listen to the musical sound of nature. The gurgling sound of water, the rustling of the breeze and may be, now then, a bird chirping. You cannot do anything else, but allow the nature outside and nature inside the body bring their gift to you, the gift of relaxation and the gift of recuperation. The gift is for you. You have earned it by virtue of your being there.
Notice the warmth of the sun on the forehead. It soothes the muscles of the forehead and the forehead and the scalp. Feel the warmth entering the muscles around the eyes, the facial muscles and the jaw. Let the warm relaxation flow down the body, over the shoulder, arms, over the chest, back, hips, thighs, calves and feet. Feel the relaxation covering you from head to toe in a warm golden glow. This is the protective covering against the pressures of the world and your own thoughts.
Shift your attention to the area of body about which your are concerned. Take a deep breath in and out. Feel you are breathing in and out through this, releasing all the tension in the area, allow the muscles to relax. Feel the blood vessels dilating, more blood flowing, more oxygen and healing minerals reaching the area. Feel all the toxins, wastes and deformed cells flowing out and being carried away in the blood. The affected area getting cleaner smoother and the pain gradually going down.
Use all your will power to heal your self, let tension and exhaustion flow out and let the body be filled with relaxation, warmth and let it become cleaner and purer. Stay in the sun for half an hour, at least 15 minutes if you are in a hurry. Rouse the body gradually, open the eyes, stretch the body, see the beauty around you, sit down, wait for one minute more, now you are ready for the next important task of the day. You will be surprised to discover the mind’s capacity to heal and protect you. You will feel the soothing warmth of the sun helping your mind and body to do it better.