Here Comes The Sun : Nine Ways You Can Protect Your Skin This Summer

As the summer season approaches, you’re likely going to spend more time enjoying the outdoors on weekends, holidays and vacations.

And whether you’re planning to swim, water ski or hike, you will probably expose your skin to the dangerous rays of the sun at this time of year more than any other.

“This is the time of year when we caution everyone to protect their skin from the damage that the sun can do,” says Richard Price, M.D., of Price Skin Care Clinic in Ridgeland, Mississippi. “Too much exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays can lead to serious health problems including skin cancer. Following skin protection guidelines can not only prevent painful sunburns, but also save your life.”

An Ounce of Prevention
Although skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world, if caught early it is also the most treatable form of cancer.

And while early diagnosis and treatment saves lives, it’s always better to prevent a disease than treat it.

That’s why Price Skin Care Clinic promotes National Skin Cancer Awareness Month every May – to alert the public to the dangers of the sun and encourage sun safe practices – especially during the summer months when time spent outdoors is most prevalent.

It’s a Fact
Consider these important statistics:
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70.
• Every hour, more than two people die of skin cancer.
• Your risk for melanoma doubles if you’ve had more than five sunburns.
• When detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent.
• Regular daily use of SPF 15 or higher reduces your risk of melanoma by 50 percent.

Overexposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is the culprit in these statistics.

Clearly, the sun demands our respect.

Nine Ways You Can Protect Your Skin
As you make your fun-in-the-sun plans for summer, be sure to follow these nine sun safe guidelines and protect your skin – as well as the skin of your friends and family.

1. Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM
2. Don’t get sunburned.
3. Avoid tanning and never use UV tanning beds
4. Cover up with a broad-brimmed hat and UV blocking sunglasses.
5. Keep newborns out of the sun. Use sunscreen on babies over the age of six months.
6. Use a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher.
7. Apply one ounce of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
8. Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
9. See a dermatologist at least once a year for a professional skin exam.

May is the perfect time to schedule your professional skin exam. You can make an appointment with one of the skin care professionals at Price Skin Care Clinic by calling 601.992.3996.

Source: www.skincancer.org