“Can arm covers protect against sunburn?”
“What is UV protection processing?”
Even if you say it's better to wear an arm cover, you want to know if it actually has any sun protection effect, right?
So in this article, we will explain the following:
- Are arm covers really effective?
- About UV cut processing
- How to choose an effective arm cover for sun protection
If you read this article to the end, you will be able to learn about the effectiveness of arm covers as sun protection, so please use it as a reference.
Click here for the UV arm cover recommended by Monami.
Are arm covers really effective?
Arm covers not only protect against sunburn, but are also effective in preventing skin aging, age spots, freckles, and skin cancer.
According to research conducted by the Photo-Environmental Life Science Laboratory on the effects of ultraviolet rays on living organisms, experimental results have shown that ultraviolet rays can be blocked simply by wearing a thin cloth.
(Citation: https://sweb.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/~photobio/hikari_ultraviolet.html )
When you get sunburned, your skin turns red because it is a self-defense mechanism caused by the production of melanin, but if you get a strong sunburn, your body's ability to repair itself cannot keep up and the damage to your DNA cannot be repaired.
It is said that age spots and wrinkles are caused by ultraviolet rays in addition to age-related aging, and that DNA damage caused by ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer, so it can be said that it is essential to take appropriate measures against ultraviolet rays on a daily basis. .
UV-protected materials are made to block UV rays.
Even if you don't like sunscreen, arm covers are a recommended item that you can easily use because they are gentle on your skin, protect your skin from direct sunlight, and have the same effect as sunscreen .
Heat stroke can also be caused by being exposed to direct sunlight, so wear an arm cover to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible to prevent physical exhaustion.
What is UV cut processing?
UV cut processing is a process that blocks (cuts) ultraviolet rays (UV), and is also called ultraviolet shielding processing.
The shielding rate is a value that shows how much UV rays can be blocked, and items that have been treated with UV shielding have a higher shielding rate than those that have not.
UV protection is often applied to clothing, arm covers, parasols, etc., and you may have seen such statements such as "UV protection rate of 95% or more."
UV cut processing not only protects against sunburn, but also protects our skin from ultraviolet rays that cause skin aging, age spots, freckles, and skin cancer.
Another feature of UV protection is that it protects clothing from damage such as discoloration caused by exposure to UV rays.
Types of UV cut processing
There are two types of UV cut processing:
- UV scattering agent
- UV absorber
I will explain each of the above two characteristics.
Features of UV scattering agent
The processing of ultraviolet scattering materials is a method that uses the surface reflection and scattering effects of fine metal particles such as titanium oxide and special ceramics to diffusely reflect and cut ultraviolet rays.
By kneading fine metal particles into fibers, we create fibers with UV-cutting effects, which can also be processed into chemical fibers such as polyester and nylon.
This processing method is characterized by a semi-permanent UV protection effect that does not come off even when washed, but it cannot be processed on natural materials.
Features of UV absorbers
The processing of ultraviolet absorbers is a method that utilizes the effect of aromatic compounds such as salicylic acid, which absorb ultraviolet light and convert it into minute amounts of thermal energy.
Simply put, it blocks UV rays by absorbing them.
This processing method coats the fabric with a UV absorber to provide UV protection, so it can also be processed on natural materials.
However, the disadvantage of coating is that its effectiveness decreases with washing, so it may be a good idea to replace it every season or collect several designs as if it were a fashion item.
3 ways to choose arm covers that are effective for sun protection
In order to avoid sunburn, it is a good idea to pay attention to the following three things when choosing an arm cover.
- UV cut processing
- material
- color
I will explain these three points in detail.
Pay attention to UV cut processing
Choose an arm cover that has UV protection.
UV cut processing can significantly cut the ultraviolet rays that reach your skin, reducing the risk of skin dryness, age spots, freckles, and skin cancer caused by sunburn.
The value that shows how much UV rays are blocked is called the UV shielding rate, and there are evaluation standards that are used to evaluate unprocessed products and processed products.
This is a criterion for evaluating whether processed products have a higher shielding rate than unprocessed products, so products made from UV-cutting materials are more effective in preventing sunburn than unprocessed products.
Pay attention to the material
In fact, materials such as polyester, wool, and silk have the ability to block UV rays even without UV protection.
Also, thicker fabrics and finer stitches are more effective at blocking UV rays than thin fabrics.
However, in the summer, you will tend to choose thin materials.
Even if the material is easily transparent to UV rays, choosing a UV-protected product will block more than 90% of UV rays.
pay attention to color
Black is the most effective at blocking UV rays, followed by blue, brown, yellow, and red.
Another disadvantage is that dark colors such as black easily absorb the heat of the sun, so if you wear the arm cover for a long time, you will get hot.
Arm covers are also a part of being fashionable, so if you look cute, you'll feel better.
If you want to wear an arm cover that is cute and makes you feel good, the key is to choose a product that has UV protection.
summary
In this article, we explained the following:
- Are arm covers really effective?
- About UV cut processing
- How to choose an effective arm cover for sun protection
We tend to neglect sun protection for our arms, but arm covers with UV protection protect them from UV rays that cause sunburn and skin aging.
Why not try incorporating an arm cover with a stylish design that can easily protect you from sunburn ?
