During the summer months, shade can be underrated and overlooked in favour of the sunshine. Whether you’re out in one of your local parks, playgrounds or just in your back garden. Perhaps the rarity of a hot day in the UK makes spending time in the sun so irresistible and it’s also well-known to be a great source of Vitamin D which has many health benefits. But what most people aren’t aware of is that spending time in the shade also has many benefits too. Keep on reading to learn about 10 great positives of shade.
1. Reduces Chance of Sunburn
One main benefit to being in the shade is that it will reduce the chance of getting sunburnt. We become burnt after being too exposed to UV rays, our skin then becomes red in the affected area and we can experience pain and discomfort. By spending even just a few hours under a shade structure during sunny days, we can prevent causing permanent and long-term damage to our skin. This is especially key during the peak hours when the sun is at its hottest from 10am to 4pm. Shade also gives our skin protection and therefore the opportunity to rejuvenate before we go back out into the sunlight.
2. Lessens Risk of Skin Cancer
One of the biggest causes of skin cancer is overexposure to the sun, meaning that too many UV rays have penetrated your skin. This means that your skin cells are more likely to be damaged and killed. By ensuring that you spend a few hours under a shade sail during the summer, you can easily reduce your risk of developing skin cancer considerably.
3. Avoids Heat Rashes
Often when we spent large amounts of time outside in the sun, we can develop a red rash and small bumps on our skin. This is commonly known as a heat rash and happens when our sweat ducts become blocked with bacteria. One easy way to avoid a heat rash is to keep your body as cool as possible, especially if you are exercising outside. Find a shady spot under a shade structure before and after your activity to cool down and drink some water to allow your body to recover.
4. Blocks Dust and Wind
Not only does shade keep us protected from the sun, but it can usually protect us from other elements such as the wind and dust particles. These can cause dryness in our skin, causing our skin to become more vulnerable to UV rays. A shade structure, such as a shade sail acts as a physical barrier against the weather conditions keeping you comfortable and cool while in an outdoor space.
5. Creates Younger Looking Skin
By avoiding direct sunlight, you will be less exposed to harmful UV-A rays which cause damage to the collagen and elastin in our skin. These are needed to keep our skin firm and in good condition. If the levels of these drop, often people acquire premature wrinkles and seemingly age quicker.
6. Keeps Hair Healthy
It’s not commonly known that shade can actually help to keep our hair healthy and shiny. When we spend time in the sunlight, the UV rays can dry out our hair, leaving it weakened. Long term effects of this include hair loss and reduction in colour. By seeking out some shade, our body has the chance to repair and prepare for the next period of sunlight, allowing your hair to stay healthy.
7. Prevents Dry Eyes
As well as drying out our hair and skin, the sun can also dry out our eyes too. Again, spending time away from the direct sunlight will allow your eyes to refresh and recover. It’s also advised to wear sunglasses while outdoors in the summer as this helps to stop direct light from hitting your eyes.
8. Protects Against Chapped Lips
We all know to keep our skin covered up from the sun, but more often than not we overlook protecting our lips. You may be surprised to learn that our lips are actually very sensitive to the sun and can become chapped, bleed and peel when they are overexposed. The best way to keep them safe is to wear a lip balm with SPF and spend time under a shade structure throughout the day.
9. Helps You Stay Cool and Comfortable
A more well-known benefit to the shade is its wonderful cooling effect. By simply stepping out of the sunlight, we can reduce the temperature of our skin by around 15 degrees. This instantly gives us relief from the heat and can also help us to feel more relaxed and calm.
10. Benefits Our Mental Health
By looking after our bodies throughout the summer we are more likely to strengthen our mental health. And we shouldn’t only look out for ourselves as it’s also key to keep young children and elderly adults safe from the sun to protect their physical and mental health too.
So now you should have a better idea of just how important the shade is to our health and wellbeing. You can add areas of shade to your garden or outdoor environment easily with a shade sail, a fabric shade structure which adds a design statement as well as practicality. As well as spending time in the shade, make sure you’re also regularly applying suncream and drinking plenty of water during those hot summer months.