With summer officially here, Safety Girl wants to make sure that you not only protect your body, but that you also protect you skin. Here’s what you should know about effects of the sun on your precious skin:
- Although many of us love the sun, sun exposure causes many of the changes to our skin that we associate with normal aging. Sun exposure causes the skin to stretch, bruise and tear more easily, sag, and take longer to heal itself.
- Sun exposure can cause pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions and tumors.
- Sun exposure can also cause wrinkles, freckles, and discoloration of the skin.
- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, affecting two million people each year.
- One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
- 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are linked to sun exposure.
When you’re outside, it’s important to protect your skin from too much sun exposure and sunburn. Here are a few helpful tips:
- If possible, avoid sun exposure between 10:00AM and 4:00PM, when the sun’s rays are strongest. If you exercise outdoors or work in your garden for example, try to do these activities in the early morning or evening.
- Cover up! Wear a hat with a wide brim that protects your neck, forehead, nose, scalp, ears, eyes, nose, and lips. Wear lightweight, loose fitting clothing that covers your arms and legs. Some clothing even has a built-in Sun Protection Factor.
- Wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of the sun’s UVA and UVB radiation.
- Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an Sun Protection Factor (SPF) or at least 15. If you’re sweating or swimming, remember to reapply sunscreen frequently.
- If you do get sunburned, apply a cool cloth to the burn and use a soothing lotion, such as aloe vera to ease the burn.
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