As summer approaches more of your body is exposed to sun. Remember to practice good skin care by keeping your skin safe from those damaging UVA and UVB rays that cause serious, irreparable sun damage and skin cancer. Simple things you can do include:
- Limit sun exposure – avoid 10AM to 3PM, spend less than one hour in direct sun - less or none if fair complexion, burn easily, prone to skin cancer.
- Wear protective clothing – wide brim hats, long sleeves, long pants, skirts and/ or clothes made with sun protection fabric.
- Umbrella and shade.
- Use sunscreen SPF 15 or greater. Put on every hour if sweating or swimming. Put on every area exposed to sun, and be sure to remember behind those ears and on the neck.
- See your family doctor and/or dermatologist for moderate to severe sunburn, or any suspicious skin spots that fail to heal.
by J. L. Richardson, MD, family practice physician, patient advocate, and author of Patient Handbook to Medical Care: Your Personal Health Guide. http://amzn.to/13m51UU
