Ultraviolet (UV) rays are part of our atmosphere and can damage the DNA of our skin. Two types of UV rays are UVA and UVB. These rays can create a tanned look, as well as cause sunburn or skin redness, eye damage, premature wrinkling, premature aging, and skin cancer. Skin damage from UV rays is cumulative over your lifetime. Unless you take steps to protect yourself, it will only get worse and cannot be reversed. Up to 80% of visible skin changes attributed to aging are caused by the sun.

If you would like to learn more about protecting your skin, please contact our FCS Educator, Caitlin Mathews-Smith at mathews-smith.1@osu.edu. She can present an educational workshop on this topic as well as scan your face with a Dermascan machine. You can also read this Protect Your Skin brochure (PDF) created by OSU Extension.