How To Prevent Sun Damage To Your Skin.

Properly preventing sun damage that could lead to skin cancer:

Follow these tips to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays and reduce your risk of skin cancer:

• Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, when possible.
• Generously apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

Why should you protect yourself from the sun?

Too much unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause sun damage to your skin, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even people in their twenties can develop skin cancer.

What is a healthy amount of sunlight exposure?

Vitamin D is a unique vitamin that most people don’t get enough of.In fact, it’s estimated that more than 40% of American adults have a vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin is made from cholesterol in your skin when it’s exposed to the sun. That’s why getting enough sunlight is very important for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels.

Researchers have estimated the duration of solar radiation exposure required in order to obtain the recommended doses of vitamin D. While in spring and summer 10 to 20 minutes in the sun are enough, in the winter months almost two hours would be needed, therefore for the vast majority of the population it is difficult to achieve the optimal values. Every year, studies on the benefits of sunbathing in moderate doses are interspersed with those that confirm the risks of doing it excessively. (source: Science Daily).

Habits to form to keep your skin healthy in the sun:

• Do yearly skin cancer screenings!
  • Skin cancer is one of the easiest cancers to cure if treated early. Doing a skin cancer check with a qualified Dermatologist such as Dr. Vitaly Blatnoy is quick, easy, and extremely beneficial to your skin health.
• Use SPF 30+ sunscreen when you are out in the sun longer than 15 minutes.
• Avoid tanning beds at all costs.
  • Using a tanning bed just once can drastically increase your chance of skin cancer.