Sunscreen

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month so I thought it was important to hit on a few key points before we embark on this holiday weekend!  It super easy to forget to put on sunscreen when you’re out having fun.  But the sun’s UV rays can damage the skin in as little as 15 minutes!  Remember that cloudy and cool does not mean you are safe.  UV rays still get through.  So always plan ahead!  Keep sunscreen in your car, purse and children’s backpacks!  And ladies…..make sure your makeup and face lotion have AT LEAST spf 15 or higher!  Are you thinking that you just need to get your “base tan” first to protect you from getting burnt?  WRONG!  Tan skin is damaged skin.  Period.  Any change in skin color means UV damage.  And tanning beds are the worst offenders.  Sorry for the bad news but……the CDC classifies tanning beds as a carcinogen.  That means they cause cancer.  Yikes!!!  The CDC says this about skin cancer:  “Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types, called basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, are highly curable, but treatment can be disfiguring. Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, can be deadly.” 

So enough of the BAD stuff!  What can you do to protect yourself?!! 

• Take precautions every day of the year.  Not just in the summer.
• Seek shade, especially during midday hours.  10am to 4pm is when UV rays are the strongest and do the most damage.
• Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.  (If you wear a ball cap, don’t forget to sunscreen your ears!!!)
• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Put on sunscreen with broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection and sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher.
• Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. The UV rays from them can be stronger than UV rays from the summer sun at noon.
• Visit a dermatologist and have them do a complete body check.  They may see something that you’ve missed!

No one says you need to stay inside and hide from the sun.  Me?  I absolutely LOVE summer and sunshine!  I’m out there as much as possible!  So I just try to sunscreen frequently, wear a hat and sunglasses and use lots of self-tanner!  Because skin cancer stinks.  And so do wrinkles.  J  

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!