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.
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| Photo by Carole Jakucs; view of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Image subject to copyright. |
- Look for the words, “Broad Spectrum,” on the label of your sunscreen, for the fullest protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more, 30 or more is better to prevent sunburns.
- Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when the sun is the strongest.
- Use a, “Water Resistant,” sunscreen.
- Reapply every hour, especially if you’re sweating or swimming because sunscreen wears off quickly when the skin is wet.
- Apply a generous amount of sunscreen to all areas of skin that are exposed to the sun.
- 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.
- Remember your lips: Get a special sunscreen product formulated for the lips.
- A good brand of sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays will help to reduce your risk of developing cataracts.
- Wear a hat (with a brim) or sun-visor – to help cover your head and face in addition to sunscreen.
- 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.
- If you’re prone to skin allergies, look for fragrance free or hypoallergenic sunscreen products to reduce your chances of an allergic reaction.
