Skincare is important and one of the essential parts of it is protection from the sun. Using sunscreen or sunblock is known to be one of the most effective ways to protect skin from dangerous UV rays. Our skin is impacted in many ways when exposed to the sun's strong rays. And not just that, even screen exposure reflects blue light known to impact your skin. Now, not all sunscreens can protect you from the harmful lights reflected by digital screens, but sunscreen, in general, can provide overall protection to your skin in many ways. However, now people are ditching the conventional methods of applying sunscreen to opt for  'Sunscreen Contouring', which implies that you only apply sunblock to certain areas of the face. People opting for this technique believe that it gives them "nature's contour". BUT what about the risk of skin cancer from exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays? That is not going anywhere. A study published in the journal Mechanical Behavior of Biomaterials revealed that the sun damages our skin in the worst way possible and that different types of ultraviolet radiation affect your skin differently.  Summer Skincare: Why Skin Products Must Be Applied in the Correct Order? Here's a Step-by-Step Regimen You Can Follow. 

Researchers in the cosmetic industry have been arguing over years whether UV A is more harmful than UV B. BUT both result in wrinkles and changes in skin tissue. Researchers have found that both types of UV radiation are equally harmful. The more UV energy the skin absorbs, the more damage is done to the skin. Therefore, if you are planning to protect your skin from the sun why spare some part of your skin for the harmful rays to devour?

What is 'Sunscreen Contouring'? Is It of Any Use?

Just like contouring with foundations and concealers, now people are contouring their skin with sunscreen. Yes, selectively applying sunscreen to the places they want to highlight on the skin like cheekbones, jawline, and nose bridge, the other areas with no sunscreen, get tanned, giving them the effect that makeup artists otherwise achieve by applying a darker share of foundation. The "skinfluencers" are suggesting that one must apply sunscreen to get a natural, sun-kissed contour. As you leave the rest of the facial area deprived of sunscreen, the tanning gives a contour and definition to your face. But apart from serving no purpose, it can be a cause of health concerns, according to dermatologists.

Sunscreen should be used liberally and consistently, even on days when you're not stepping out of the house, all over your face. A quarter-sized dollop is more than enough to be applied on the face to avoid premature aging and many skin cancers. Doctors advise using sunscreen to protect your skin and not as a cosmetic.

UV Radiation weakens the bond between cells in the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of the skin), affecting proteins in the cornodesmosome. The cornodesmosome is the AC structure of the upper layer that allows cells to stick together. This is why sunburn causes the skin to peel off.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2021 05:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).