Overexposure to UV rays can lead to serious long term damage - wrinkles, sun spots and even scarier, melanoma. Tread carefully when playing in the sun, get to know these quick facts so you can safely enjoy the sun.
All skin tones need sunscreen. Anyone, no matter their skin tone, can get skin cancer.
Dermatologist recommends SPF 30 as the minimum daily protection.
Use a sunscreen that is Broad Spectrum which provides protection for both UVA and UVB rays.
UVA rays cause aging, wrinkles and age spots. UVB rays cause sunburn.
Mineral sunscreens bounce UV rays off of the skin’s surface preventing radiation from ever entering the body.
Seek shade midday. The sun is most intense between the hours of 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.
When doing a vigorous activity such as swimming, sunscreen loses efficacy after 40 or 80 min depending on the product.
Up to 80 percent of UV rays pass through clouds. A sunburn is possible on cloudy days.
When the UV Index is 9, you can get a sunburn in less than 20 minutes. When the UV Index is 4, sunburn is possible within 50 minutes.
Use the Shadow rule - look at your shadow and if it is shorter than your height this means that the sun’s UV rays are strong.
Often we don’t apply enough sunscreen - reapply 20 minutes later to compensate for initial under-application.
Sunburns during childhood multiply the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
