Sun Safety Tips

You can enjoy being outside and still be safe in the sun! Here's how to protect your skin and lower your chances of getting skin cancer:

• Avoid sun exposure when you can. Sunscreen should not be your only way to protect your skin - limit your skin’s exposure to the sun’s rays.
• Do not use tanning beds or sunlamps. The UV exposure from these has proven to be very harmful.
• Stay out of the sun during peak hours, which are between 10 am-4 pm.
• When you are outdoors, look for shady spots. Trees, umbrellas, and other shelters can help.
• Wear protective clothing, like long-sleeved shirts, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. You can choose clothing with built-in SPF or use a product to add SPF to clothes in the laundry.
• When you pick clothes, remember that a darker color and tighter weave provide more protection. An ordinary white T-shirt has an SPF of only 3!
• Don’t forget your eyes. Wear sunglasses that have UV filtering. Sun damage to the eyes can lead to early cataracts.
• Choose a sunscreen that is "broad spectrum" meaning that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater every day. Sunscreen use is especially important for children because sunburns during childhood greatly increase the risk of melanoma in adulthood.
• Put on a lot of sunscreen. An average adult needs at least 2 tablespoons of sunscreen to get good coverage and most people do not use enough. If your bottle of sunscreen lasts more than a few months, you probably aren’t using enough!
• Check the expiration date on your sunscreen. If there is no expiration date, most sunscreens have a shelf life of 3 years or less.
• Don’t forget to protect your lips, neck, and ears with SPF.These spots often get skin cancer because people forget to protect them. If you have thinning hair or are bald, wear a hat to protect your scalp.
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating,  no sunscreen is truly waterproof.
• Young babies should be kept out of the sun entirely. Use sunscreen on babies over 6 months of age.
• Check your skin regularly for any changes in moles or any new moles and tell your healthcare provider about these.

Remember to practice sun safety ALL year long! Learn more about sun safety on OncoLink.