Sun Protection
The sun sustains life and feels good, but it can be your skin's worst enemy. Protecting your skin from the sun can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer, sunburn, and premature aging, like age spots, sagging, and wrinkles. In addition, sun protection can reduce your risk of getting another skin cancer if you've had skin cancer.
The best path to beautiful, healthy skin is to adopt as many steps as possible into your lifestyle and make them daily habits everywhere you go, all year.
To protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays and reduce your risk, dermatologists recommend that you:
Seek shade:
Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can also look at your shadow. Any time your shadow appears shorter than you, seek shade.
Wear sun-protective clothing:
Wear a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses with UV protection when possible. Select clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number on the label for more effective protection.
Apply sunscreen:
Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all skin not covered by clothing. Remember to reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that all adults do monthly skin –self-exams and see a dermatologist annually or more frequently if they see something suspicious or have risk factors.
Apart from these precautions, promote these sun-safe precautions:
- Encourage students to wear hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen outdoors.
- Try to avoid scheduling outdoor activities when the sun is strongest.
- Provide breaks during outdoor activities so students can reapply sunscreen and get water.
Follow these specified rules to protect yourself from the sun's heat and stay healthy during the summer.
