With summer in full swing, who doesn’t want to be outside,
sunbathing, swimming, playing catch on the beach or just barbequing in the
backyard?
While summer means fun in the sun, make sure you’re not
getting too much of a good thing. Avoid the consequences of overexposure to the
sun like sunburns, premature aging of the skin, wrinkling, and skin cancer,
including melanoma by practicing proper sun protection.
The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are the most hazardous
for ultraviolet exposure in the continental United States. UV rays are the
greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
easy options for sun protection:
Sunscreen
• Use sunscreen with sun protective factor, or SPF, 15 or
higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.
• Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in
the sun for more than two hours, and after you swim or do things that make you
sweat.
• Check the sunscreen's expiration date. Sunscreen without
an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf
life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.
Clothing
• Wear clothing to protect exposed skin.
• Loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants made from
tightly woven fabric offer the best protection from the sun's UV rays.
• A wet T-shirt offers much less UV protection than a dry
one.
• Darker colors may offer more protection than lighter
colors.
• If wearing this type of clothing isn't practical, at least
try to wear a T-shirt or a beach cover-up. Keep in mind that a typical T-shirt
has an SPF rating lower than 15, so use other types of protection as well.
Hats
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears,
and neck.
• For the most protection, wear a hat with a brim all the way
around that shades your face, ears and the back of your neck. A tightly woven
fabric, such as canvas, works best to protect your skin from UV rays.
• Avoid straw hats with holes that let sunlight through. A
darker hat may offer more UV protection.
• If you wear a baseball cap, you should also protect your
ears and the back of your neck by wearing clothing that covers those areas,
using sunscreen with at least SPF 15 or by staying in the shade.
Sunglasses
• Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the
risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun
exposure.
• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100
percent of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best
protection. Most sunglasses sold in the United States, regardless of cost, meet
this standard.
Shade
• Seek shade, especially during midday hours.
• You can reduce your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by
seeking shade under an umbrella, tree or other shelter before you need relief
from the sun. Your best bet to protect your skin is to use sunscreen or wear
protective clothing when you're outside, even when you're in the shade.
For more information, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.htm or call 800-CDC-INFO.