As summer comes upon us, we hear more about protecting our skin. After all, nearly half of all Americans will develop a skin cancer lesion at least once by age 65. By protecting your skin today, you’re protecting it from skin cancer tomorrow.
Being sun-safe means being sun-smart. Make sunscreen your best friend this summer and you won’t get burned. Using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher will protect your skin and prevent skin cancer. Be sure to slather it on under clothing, too! Wearing long sleeves and pants may not be your idea of cooling off this summer, but it’s important to keep your skin covered with light, loose clothing, hats, and sun visors. Hold a shirt up to the sun; if you can see through the material, then the sun can sneak through to your skin.
While it may be fun to run in the noon-time sun, the sun’s rays are strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Avoid the sun at these times and you’ll avoid the risk of a sunburn. If you have to be outside, stay under an umbrella or a shady tree.
Skin cancer doesn’t just happen to our elder population. While skin cancer generally appears after age 50, people in their 20s and 30s can develop it as well. There are a number of risk factors that make a person more susceptible to skin cancer. Having fair skin, a history of sunburns, excessive sun exposure, sunny climates, and skin moles play a role in skin cancer. In addition, a family history of skin cancer puts you more at risk. The areas the sun is most likely to burn are your ears, neck, cheeks, nose and shoulders. Make sure to apply extra sunscreen to these areas.
As you prepare to show more skin, get ready to face the sun's rays with our top 6 summer skin tips!
- Exfoliate for clearer, smoother skin. Exfoliation removes dead, dulling skin and after you exfoliate, follow with a hydrating body cream to seal in moisture.
- Keep skin hydrated.
- Make friends with water! Higher temperatures and more time outdoors leads to internal dehydration, which can result in headaches and dizzy spells! Eight 8-ounce glasses of plain, filtered water every day help maintain critical moisture balance of the body and skin.
- It’s not enough to just apply sunscreen- you must apply enough, and apply every two hours. Studies indicate that most people do not apply nearly as much daylight protection as they should.
- Soothe over-exposed skin-If you forgot the sunscreen, didn’t apply enough, or got caught in a sunny spell, the damage is done, but you don’t have to suffer in pain! Cooling gels and aloe can help prevent peeling and reduce redness and inflammation.
- Repair and treat sun damage- A tan may be a popular summer look, but it indicates damage. Bombard your skin with age-fighting ingredients to help undo any damage that may occur, and to further protect it from the aging effects of the sun.
One blistering sunburn doubles your risk of melanoma -- remember to get a yearly skin exam by your primary care provider and perform a self-examination once a month to detect early warning signs of skin cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common warning signs of skin cancer is a change on the skin including a small growth, a sore that bleeds, crusts over, heals, then reopens or a change in an existing mole or the development of a new (suspicious-looking) mole.
Amy Sved is a Board Certified – ANCC – Family Nurse Practitioner. She is associated with West Florence Family Practice, an affiliate of Carolinas Medical Alliance. She is accepting new patients.
To schedule an appointment, please call (843) 679-4214 or visit our home page to find the link to schedule online.