Tan Skin Is Damaged Skin | WPN World People News

The "healthy glow" associated with a tan is actually a sign of danger, a dermatologist says.

"The sad news is that unfortunately, no, there is no way to safely tan. The research is clear that there are not any cutoffs for how much sun is safe," said expert.

"This is likely because everyone has a different genetic makeup, skin tone, lives in a different region. There are just too many variables," expert added.

It's likely there is some reasonable amount of sun exposure that an individual can get without harming himself or herself, "but we just do not know what that is, given all of the factors mentioned above

Furthermore, there certainly is not anything such as a healthy tan. Once you have reached a tan, you have received too much sun.

Expert outlined some ways to protect yourself from too much sun exposure, and help prevent skin cancer.

Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. In some situations, you should use a sunscreen with an SPF of 50.

Apply sunscreen liberally, apply it 15 minutes before you go outside and re-apply it every hour when outdoors.

Wear a hat and sunglasses, and consider sitting under an umbrella. Wear a rash guard shirt around the water.

Try to avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the levels of ultraviolet rays are highest.

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services