It’s summer vacation – and so we travel en masse to sun-drenched places. But be careful, because too much sun can change the composition of the bacteria that live on your skin, which can lead to infections and irritations.
The sun is shining brightly in southern Europe at the moment. It is therefore a popular holiday destination for many people who are tired of the rainy and changeable weather in the Netherlands. We probably don’t need to tell you that you need to apply good sunscreen to protect yourself against premature skin aging, inflammation or even skin cancer. But what you may not have known yet is that too much sun also leads to a certain skin bacteria choosing the hare path, which can then lead to annoying ailments.
Microbiome of the skin
Billions of micro-organisms live on our skin, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and yeasts. Together with the epidermis, they form a natural barrier against foreign invaders and protect you against pathogens. “Our skin is colonized by a diverse bunch of microbes that have an essential job to do,” said researcher Abigail Langton in an interview with Scientias.nl. “The skin microbiome is created at birth and its composition is determined by several factors. Consider, for example, your lifestyle, hygiene and the cosmetic products you use, but also the climate and your geographical location have an influence. The microbiome of a healthy adult remains largely stable over time.”
Proteobacteriën
So our skin is teeming with microbes. The microbiome is largely made up of three bacterial communities viz Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria in Firmicutes. The study mainly deals with the second mentioned. “Proteobacteria are gram-negative bacteria,” explains Langton. “They occur in large numbers on healthy skin. Disruption of this group of bacteria has previously been linked to various skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema and foot ulcers.”
Vacationers
It is known that UV radiation from the sun has a negative impact on our skin. In the new study, however, the researchers wanted to know whether (short) trips to sunny destinations also influence the bacterial composition. To study this, they recruited several vacationers who left for sunny places for at least a week. Some of them got a tan during their trip, while others avoided the sun as much as possible. Both before and after the holiday, the researchers studied the microbiome of their skin.
Decrease
After analyzing all the data, the researchers come to a surprising discovery. “We have shown that getting a tan right after the holidays is associated with a decrease in Proteobacteria,” says Langton. Because the study was conducted with real vacationers, it provides important new insights into how exposure to the sun for even a relatively short period of time can lead to an acute reduction in the amount Proteobacteria. “This in turn affects the diversity and composition of the skin microbiota,” says Langton.
Restored
The findings indicate that exposure to UV radiation from the sun has an acute effect on the skin’s microbiome, thus disrupting it. “For the sun to affect the skin’s microbiota so acutely was a surprise,” says Langton. The observed decrease in Proteobacteria Fortunately, it was relatively short-lived. “The skin recovers quite quickly once the person returns to a less sunny climate,” Langton continues. “About 28 days after the holiday, the skin microbiome had recovered.”
Infection and irritation
However, the short-lived decrease in quantity can Proteobacteria have some adverse consequences. “During the 28-day recovery period, the skin is less healthy,” explains Langton. “This makes it more susceptible to infections or irritations. This is especially true for people who already have an underlying skin condition, such as eczema or psoriasis. Incidentally, the risk of infection is low and not serious for healthy people. We did see an overall change in the balance of the skin microbiota.”
Follow-up research
In future studies, Langton wants to further study why Proteobacteria seem particularly sensitive to UV radiation. “It has been suggested that UV radiation can affect bacterial strains, with gram-positive organisms more resistant to damage than gram-negative organisms,” says the researcher. “We want to study this further in follow-up research. We also want to understand how the change in diversity affects long-term human skin health.”
The results of the study prove once again how much you have to be careful with the sun. Harmful UV radiation can do more harm than we may be aware. That’s why Langton reiterates the importance of protecting yourself from the vagaries of the sun. “It’s really essential to slather yourself with sunscreen,” she says. “In addition, seek shade whenever possible, especially in the middle of the day (between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.) when the sun is at its strongest. In our study, the people who had avoided the sun the most were those who still had a diverse skin microbiota after their holiday.”
2023-08-11 06:30:29
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