Anytime you step out into the sun, you’re exposing your skin and eyes to potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are several types of UV radiation, including UVA, UVB and UVC radiation. Although you don’t have to worry too much about UVC radiation, since UVC rays are short and unable to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere for the most part, you should be concerned about UVA and UVB rays.
The biggest difference between UVA and UVB radiation is the wavelength of each type of ray.
UVA rays are longer than UVB rays. As a result, they are able to penetrate deeper into your skin and do more extensive cell damage, even if you don’t realize it. Some people think that no damage is being done as long as they avoid getting sunburnt, but that isn’t actually true. UVA radiation can cause skin and eye damage in a relatively short period of time, even if its effects aren’t immediately obvious.
UVB rays, on the other hand, are the rays that are typically responsible for sunburn.
UVB rays are shorter than UVA rays, so they tend to only affect the top layer of skin. When skin is exposed to too much UVB radiation it will become red and inflamed, resulting in a painful sunburn. Excessive UVB exposure can also increase the risk of melanomas and cause skin to age dramatically. UVB rays don’t penetrate as deep as UVA rays, but they are still very dangerous.
The good news is, you can easily protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays by wearing sunscreen and sunglasses whenever you go outside. At Real Kids Shades, we offer a variety of sunglass styles that are specifically designed for active kids who love the outdoors, and all of our sunglasses feature 100% UVA and UVB protection. Browse our inventory online, or give us a call today to learn more!