July is UV Safety Month
Spending time outside is a great way to reduce stress, be physically active, and get vitamin D. You can work and play outside without raising your risk of skin cancer by protecting your skin from the sun. Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet light that come from tanning beds, sunlamps, and of course the sun. UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays can cause sunburns, damage including dark spots, wrinkles, and sagging skin. Exposure to these harmful rays are cumulative and will have an impact on your skin for years to come. Just remember, tanned skin is not healthy skin! Here are some summer safety tips to follow:
Top Summer Safety Tips
- Achieving a base tan can double your risk of skin cancer
- Use Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, check for expired dates
- Seek shade from 12-2pm when the sun is strongest
- Look for oil-free and “non-comedogenic” sunscreen to avoid breakouts
- No sunscreen is truly waterproof, so reapply every 2 hours
- Car rides are equivalent to being outside, so apply sunscreen for long drives
- Broad spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays
- Wear sun protective clothes to help reduce sun exposure
- Chemical sunscreen is absorbed into the skin, while physical sunscreen sits on top of skin
Contact Bay Dermatology
July is UV Safety Month, so preventing sunburn and cumulative sun damage is very important for you and your family. But equally important are checking out suspicious spots and scheduling annual full-body screenings with board certified, medical experts. For over 30 years, Bay Dermatology has been dedicated to the health and beauty of skin. Voted Tampa’s #1 Dermatologist 3 years in a row, don’t wait, contact us at ( 727)-585-8591.
