Sandy Crest Medical Centre - Health Tips

<<return to Health Tips index

Protect your skin from the sun

The sun's rays contain two ultraviolet (UV) rays that can damage our skin – A and B. UVA primarily causes premature aging, wrinkles, and tanning, while UVB causes sunburns. Both UV rays can cause a range of skin cancers.

Here are some ways to protect our skin from the ravages of the sun’s UV rays:

• Generously apply and reapply every two hours water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 that provides broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays to all exposed skin.

• Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.

• Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Use extra caution near water and sand as they reflect the damaging UV rays of the sun which can increase your chance of sunburn.

• Check your entire skin around your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing, or bleeding on your skin, see your GP or a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.