Sun Protection Tips

These sun protection tips may save your skin from getting skin cancer or sun damage from harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays of the sun.

UV rays can cause:

• Skin cancer

• Premature aging - wrinkles, mottled skin, and loss of skin's firmness

• Immunosuppression - weakening of the body's ability to protect itself from cancer and other diseases

• Cataracts and macular degeneration - the leading cause of blindness in people aged 65 and older

Practice skin protection:

• Avoid deliberate tanning. Lying in the sun may feel good, but the end result is premature aging (wrinkles, blotchiness, and sagging skin) as well as a 1 in 5 chance of developing skin cancer. Tanning beds and sunlamps are just as dangerous because they, too, emit enough UV radiation to cause premature aging and skin cancer. If you like the look of a tan, consider using a sunless self-tanning product. These products do not protect skin from the sun, so a sunscreen should be used.

• Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that includes vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.

• Generously apply sunscreen to all exposed skin every day, even when the sun's not out. The sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 and be broad-spectrum (provides protection from ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays).

• Dermatologists worldwide agree that the Australians' use of the word "slop!" accurately describes how sunscreen should be used. Most people do not apply enough sunscreen to help protect against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. One ounce, enough to fill a shot glass, is considered by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to be the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body properly. So when applying sunscreen, remember to "slop!" it on.

To apply sunscreen:

• Don't forget your ears, nose, neck, hands, and toes when applying sunscreen. Many skin cancers develop in these areas. Protect your lips, another high-risk area, with lip balm that offers sun protection with an SPF of 15 or higher.

• Sunscreen should not be used to prolong sun exposure. Some UV light gets through sunscreen.

• Sunscreens should be applied to dry skin 15-30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapplied every two hours.

• Be sure to reapply sunscreen after being in water or sweating.

• Sunscreen does not make sunbathing safe.

When out in the sun:

• Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, where possible. This is what Australians call the "slip!" and "slap!" of sun protection. When you will be out in the sun, be sure to slip on protective clothing, such as a shirt, and slap on a wide-brimmed hat.

• Clothing protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays. The tighter the weave, the more sun protection provided. In fact, clothing plays such an important role in sun protection that clothing designed specifically to protect against the sun as well as laundry additives created to boost clothing's protective function are available. Your dermatologist may be able to provide you with more information about these products.

• A wide-brimmed hat shades your face and neck from the sun's rays. Wide-brimmed means the brim circles the entire hat and shades both the face and neck.

• Seek shade when appropriate. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun. This can increase your risk chance of sunburn.

• Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing moles, growing lesions, or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable with early detection.

Click here for a 'Sunscreen 101' handout.