Seven Steps to Sun Protection

Seven Step to Sun Protection

2- Cover up with clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.

3- Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher whenever you spend time outdoors.

4- Seek the shade.

5- Never try to tan.

6- Stay away from tanning parlors and artificial tanning devices.

7-Protect your children and teach them sun safety at an early age.

Your skin is an excellent record-keeper. Every moment in the sun adds up, accumulating like money in the bank. The payoff, however, is damage to the skin and possibly skin cancer.

Limit time in the sun, regardless of the hour or season.

• Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially during the sun's peak hour (10 am to 4 pm).
• Keep track of the time you spend in full sunlight; don't stay in an unshaded spot for long time.
• Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher whenever you spend time outdoors.
• Choose a sunscreen with ingredients that block both UVB and UVA rays.
• Apply liberally and evenly to all exposed skin. The average adult in a bathing suit should use approximately one ounce of sunscreen per application. Not using enough will effectively reduce the product's SPF and the protection you get.
• Be sure to cover often-missed spots, such as lips, ears, around eyes, neck, scalp if hair is thinning, hands and feet.
• Reapply at least every 2 hours, more often if some of the product may have been removed while swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.
• Wear dark colors, such as deep blue and black, or bright colors such as orange and red. They offer more protection. If you can see the light through a fabric, UV rays can get through too. Water make fabrics more translucent, so don't rely on those famous wet T-shirt.
• UV-blocking sunglasses with wraparound or large frames protect your eyelids and the sensitive skin around it, common sites for skin cancer and sun-induced aging. Sunglasses also help reduce the risk of cataracts later in life.
• Some medications, including commonly used acne medications and antibiotics, can make skin more susceptible to sunburn and sun damage. Other medications can cause rashes, redness, and swelling. Consult your physician before going out in the sun light while on medication.

There is no such thing as a healthy tan. A tan is the skin's response to the sun's damaging rays.

The UV radiation emitted by indoor tanning lamps is many times more intense than natural sunlight. Dangers are the same as natural sun rays, burns, premature aging of the skin, and the increased of risk of cancer.

Protect your children and teach them sun safety at an early age.

Sun safety for children should be a priority. Babies and children need protection, not only because of their tender skin, but also because they have many more years ahead of them to catch damaging solar rays. And they spend much more time outdoors than adults. More than half of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 20.

• Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of the sun entirely, sunscreen should not be used on them.
• Children 6 months and older should be protected with clothing, hats, sunscreen, and shade.
• Watch out for reflection. Water, sand, concrete, and snow are highly reflective surfaces, bouncing back as much a 90% of the sun's rays upwards and sideways.