May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month but, no matter what time of year, prioritizing the health and safety of your skin every day is essential. As the summer months barrel toward us, the sun will take its time sinking and overexpose us to its rays and potential skin problems. You can protect yourself from skin cancer, still get the benefits of Vitamin D, and enjoy the summer sun without overdoing it with these reminders about safe sun exposure.
Take Care of Your Skin Every Day
There are many reasons people avoid sunscreen: They don’t like how it feels, the smell, or the need to reapply. They don’t want to wear it under their makeup or get it on their clothes or waste money trying to find the right version for their skin. Excuses like these can lead to disastrous health problems. Here are some things to keep in mind as you develop your personal best practices for safe sun exposure:
- Let your clothes work for you. Plenty of clothing comes with UV protection, and it’s not only swimming items. Protecting your skin with any type of material is better than leaving your dermis exposed to the sun. Wraps, cover-ups, and hoodies can get you through the best of the beach, the mountains, the touring, or wherever you go on the sunniest of days.
- Rely on head coverings. There are many flattering hat designs that not only protect the face, they also conceal the scalp and neck. Wide brims, UV protection, air filtering, and light colors make some head coverings easy to wear and they help keep you safe and covered in addition to sunscreen.
- Download an app. Weather apps and personalized UV exposure apps can help you monitor the UV index as it fluctuates. Depending on your risk factors and sensitivity to sunlight and heat, there may be days it’s wise to stay inside or under cover.
- Find your sunscreen. Different types of sunscreen can be used depending on the situation. A day at the beach or pool may call for a higher SPF and frequent reapplications while some people can wear moisturizer with SFP at a lower number for daytime coverage when you’re going in and out of buildings.
- USE your sunscreen. Once you buy the sunscreen, use it. Protect yourself.
Skin Cancer Awareness Is Every Month
The sun is good for us and it’s bad for us. Even if you tan easily, have darker skin, or “never burn,” that doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the rays of the sun. The sun can cause problems at any time of year, not just the sunny summer months. People of any age can develop complications from sun exposure.
To develop a routine that can help keep your skin safe and to discuss any dermatological concerns in or out of the sun, schedule an appointment with me, Dr. Maria Swetech.
Nothing in this blog is official medical advice. See your doctor for customized care.
