12 Tips on Sun Safety

Being aware of the dangers of too much sun exposure is important. The risks of too much sunlight and/or tanning bed exposure for your skin are: Skin cancer, sunburns and premature wrinkling/aging of the skin. Regardless of where you live or the season, the potential for overexposure is there. Here are twelve helpful tips to help protect you.

Photo by Carole Jakucs; view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Image subject to copyright.

1. Look for the words, “Broad Spectrum,” on the label of your sunscreen, for the fullest protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
2. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more, 30 or more is better to prevent sunburns.
3. Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when the sun is the strongest.
4. Use a, “Water Resistant,” sunscreen.
5. Reapply every hour, especially if you’re sweating or swimming because sunscreen wears off quickly when the skin is wet.
6. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen to all areas of skin that are exposed to the sun.
7. Don’t forget to cover these spots too: The bottoms of your feet, back of your neck, ears cartilage and top of the head if you have any balding areas/hair loss.
8. Remember your lips: Get a special sunscreen product formulated for the lips.
9. A good brand of sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays will help to reduce your risk of developing cataracts.
10. Wear a hat (with a brim) or sun-visor – to help cover your head and face in addition to sunscreen.
11. Burns and sun damage to our skin occurs even on cloudy days so protect yourself from premature wrinkling, skin cancer and sunburns, even if it’s cloudy.
12. If you’re prone to skin allergies, look for fragrance free or hypoallergenic sunscreen products to reduce your chances of an allergic reaction.

Tip # 3 - 3 Tips to Prevent Skin Cancer – Healthy Food

Can skin cancer be prevented, or, your risk reduced by eating certain foods? Various foods, vitamins and nutrients are being examined to determine just that. The jury is still out regarding this and skin cancer; however, some studies suggest they may offer some protection. In the interim, you can gain numerous health benefits by consuming a diet that contains a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables every day from improved heart and brain health, stronger and better looking skin and a reduced risk of some cancers.

Here’s a list of a few vitamins and nutrients that are good for your skin and health in general:

Vitamin A and Beta Carotene – Found in carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe

Vitamin B – Found in eggs, chicken, nuts, fish

Vitamin C – Found in oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe

Lycopene – Found in tomatoes, tomato paste, ketchup

Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Fatty fish and nuts

Remember to: Drink enough water especially during the hot summer months and with increased physical activity. You’ll feel and look better. Also, try to minimize your exposure to pesticide laden produce whenever possible and buy organic when you can.  All produce needs to be washed well before consuming.


More tips to help prevent skin cancer:
Conduct a monthly examination of your skin along with:

Monitoring Your Moles -Tip # 1 at:  http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-tips-to-prevent-skin-cancer-monitor.html   

and learning to become: 
Savvy about Sun Safety - Tip # 2 at:  http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-tips-to-prevent-skin-cancer-savvy-sun.html  

Tip # 2 - 3 Tips to Prevent Skin Cancer – Savvy Sun Safety

Tip # 2:  Being sun safety savvy is one of the best ways to help prevent skin cancer. The following are "need to know" tips on how to do so:

• SPF of 30 or more - SPF means sun protection factor.  Sunscreen with a strength of 30 is the minimum amount considered to give you a fighting chance against the damaging rays and to help prevent over exposure to the sun.
• Broad Spectrum – Use broad spectrum as this term is necessary (must appear on the package label) to ensure you’re getting protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
• Reapply every hour – The term “waterproof” is no longer allowed by the FDA.  If you’re sweating or swimming, your product is wearing off. Reapplying every hour helps to ensure you’re covered.
• Use enough – Apply a generous amount to all areas exposed.  Research has shown that most of us don’t use enough.
• Cover all exposed areas – And don’t forget the bottoms of your feet (if you’re lying on your tummy in the sun), the back of your neck, ears, and top of the head for anyone who has balding areas.
• Use lip products that contain suncreen (SPF) of 30 or more, to help protect delicate lips from overexposure.
• Wear a hat (with a brim) or sun-visor – to help cover your head and face in addition to sunscreen.
• Fragrance Free – Use “fragrance free” sunscreen if you’re prone to fragrance allergies.
• Oil Free & Non Comedogenic - Look for the terms “Oil Free” and “Non Comedogenic” if you are prone to acne/pimples from oily products. These are formulated to help prevent a breakout from using the product.
• Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when the sun is at its strongest..
• Eye Protection - Wear quality sunglasses that offer both UVA and UVB protection of 99 - 100 %.

The added bonus with being savvy about sun safety is that practicing these tips over time will help contribute to an improved and more youthful appearance to your skin with fewer wrinkles and sun spots. See this link for Tip # 1 on skin cancer prevention: http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-tips-to-prevent-skin-cancer-monitor.html 
See this link for Tip # 3: http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/tip-3-skin-cancer-prevention-healthy.html
More info, see these:
http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/sunscreens
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/uv-protection/AN00832

3 Tips to Prevent Skin Cancer - Monitor Your Moles

Tip # 1: Skin Cancer can be deadly if caught late. Monitor the skin on your whole body each month to look for changes to existing moles and for anything new and unusual such as new growths of any kind or irregular patches or areas of scaling, bleeding, crusty skin. Get in the habit of conducting a monthly surveillance your skin, just as it is recommended to do monthly breast and testicular exams. 
See this link for Tip # 2: http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-tips-to-prevent-skin-cancer-savvy-sun.html
See this link for Tip # 3: http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com/2012/05/tip-3-skin-cancer-prevention-healthy.html

• Don’t forget to look at the bottoms of your feet, between your toes and fingers and your backside. Recent research has shown that a number of new skin cancers are presenting on the soles of feet which usually get skipped over during the exam process.  However, skin cancer can be anywhere. Have a trusted family member or your partner help you check those hard to see places on your body.

Know your ABDCE’s. This is a good way to remember what to look for:
Asymmetry – If one half looks different from the other, see your doctor.

Border – If the border/edges of the growth look irregular and uneven, see our doctor.

Color – Abnormal moles have various shades of color in them, see your doctor.

Diameter- Larger growths are of more concern than smaller ones.  The standard used is to measure it against the size of an eraser on the tip of a pencil. If your mole is larger than that, get it examined by your doctor

Evolving – If your mole or growth is changing in size, color, border, height or anything that is different from before, see your doctor.

• If you find any area of concern, even if it does not match anything above, or, you are not sure, make an appointment to see a licensed healthcare professional or your dermatologist (who is a medical doctor that specializes in the diagnosing and treating the skin).

See these websites for more information:

http://www.skincancer.org/

http://www.aad.org/for-the-public/home

http://www.aad.org/spot-skin-cancer

http://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/ss/slideshow-skin-lesions-and-cancer