Hello to all,
I have to admit that I love the summer. In high school, my friends and I used to go to the beach and use baby oil as our "sunscreen". Ouch! Luckily, we know better now. Our skin is our largest organ and it's important that we take care of it. High levels of UV radiation increase the risk of all three major forms of skin cancer: basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma. Light skinned people are 80 times more likely to develop Basal cell cancer of the skin and 20 times more likely to develop Melanoma. The current recommendations for protecting your skin are as follows:
Avoid sun exposure during peak hours(11a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Remember that sunscreen alone is not full protection against UV rays.
Low cloud coverage can still allow 80% of UV rays to penetrate the atmosphere.
Be careful at the beach, where sand and water reflect the sun's rays.
Wear protective clothing to prevent skin damage( clothing with built in sunscreen and a hat with a brim)
Use a sunscreen with a spf of at least 30, although many dermatologists recommend a spf of 50.
Oxybenzome and retinyl palmitate are safe sunscreen ingredients.
Even if you have a darker complexion, you can still get skin cancer. Protect yourself!
Remember that using sunscreen also stops photoaging of your skin.
Stay safe! Have a great week!
Best, Dr. Heidi Levine
picture credit: https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/apply-sunscreen