Summer Sun Safety

By Nancy Brown, Ph.D., and Kelly Troiano, M.D.

It is time for the summer sun reminder. The sun is out and on these beautiful days it is easy to stay outside too long, or forget to wear a hat and sunscreen. Please be careful with your skin when you are exposed to the sun.

Skin cancer is one of the most widespread and dangerous forms of cancer. It develops invisibly over the years, primarily through overexposure to the sun's dangerous rays. Two common types of skin cancer are carcinoma and melanoma. Being tan makes most of us feel healthy, so it's easy to forget the damage the sun is doing to your skin. The long-term damage to your skin however, is not worth the glow of golden skin.

To be sun-safe:

• Remember to avoid the hottest sun, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Cover all of your skin with sunscreen, at least SPF 30.
• Apply sunscreen every few hours, and especially after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
• Use lip balm with SPF 15 whenever you are outside.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and UV protective sunglasses.
• Remember that UV rays bounce off concrete, water, sand and snow.
• Never use tanning beds or sun lamps.
• If you are babysitting, keep babies less than six months old out of the sun completely.

Resources

• Sun Safety Alliance
• Healthwise Sunburn article

PAMF articles

• Tanning
• Sunglasses