Think you know how to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s damaging rays? Think again. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, probably making up more than half of all diagnosed cases of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The good news is that about 90 percent of all skin cancers could be prevented by properly protecting yourself. Get your facts straight so you and your family can safely enjoy the great outdoors all year long.
4 massive mistakes with massive consequences:
Relying on cream (or sun blocker, or suntan lotion) for protection:
Too many of us suppose that victimisation cream can enable them to stay within the sun all day while not burning. specialists agree: victimisation cream is not enough. additionally to victimisation the correct cream properly, shade yourself with a beach umbrella and wear closely woven brimmed hats and wear (preferably made of material treated for ultraviolet light protection). remember your eyes! carrying wrap-around shades with UV-screening lenses can facilitate defend your precious peepers.
During the hours of ten a.m. and 4 p.m., once the lightweight ultraviolet illumination UV actinic radiation actinic ray light is strongest, try and avoid the sun altogether. Not observation the clock? The “shadow rule” will help: avoid the sun once your shadow is shorter than you are that’s once the sun is strongest.
Using the incorrect sunscreen:
In keeping with the carcinoma Foundation, there ar six main skin varieties, from very reasonable to black, and every has differing risks of putting up with sun injury that may cause cancer. Different skin varieties would like sunscreens with varied SPF (sunburn protection factor) ratings. The Yankee Academy of medical specialty advises, in general, selecting a cream with a minimum of SPF fifteen.
very reasonable people who burn simply and sometimes suffer unhealthy sunburns should opt for higher SPF numbers cherish thirty or forty five. that does not mean, as some folks suppose, that they’ll use SPF forty five and keep within the sun forty five times longer than while not cream coverage.
It’s calculable that SPF forty five provides solely three to four p.c additional protection than a SPF fifteen.
According to Dr. Taylor, the founding father , an internet medicine resource for girls of Asian, African, Latin, Native yankee, Pacific and different native descents, skin pigment, or melanin, within the “average” African yankee offers protection reminiscent of SPF thirteen, however that brown- and black-skinned folks ought to still use cream with as least SPF fifteen. consider it this way: though it is not specifically additive, (SPF) thirteen and fifteen equals twenty eight, or on the brink of (SPF) thirty.
Using Insufficient Sunscreen:
If you are lucky, you would possibly realize 8-ounce bottles of cream, however several of the merchandise sold these days contain solely four ounces or less. For adequate coverage, associate “average”-sized adult must use one ounce of cream (about the number that fills your palm or a trial glass) every time they apply it. Larger folks can would like additional. cream must be reapplied each 2 hours.
If you are swimming or taking part in a sweating sport, you wish to use it instantly when drying off. once you do the maths, you will quickly see that if cream is applied properly, one 8-ounce bottle shared by a number of relations or friends will not last past lunch period, if that. The Yankee Cancer Society (ACS) stresses the importance of applying cream fifteen to twenty minutes before going outside to let your skin absorb it. The ACS additionally recommends victimisation cream even on cloudy days. Also, use ointment containing cream.

Relying on only SPF numbers:
Do you purchase sunscreen based only on SPF number listed on the bottle? Next time you’re shopping, you may want to take a closer look at the label. SPF only measures UVB (ultraviolet-B) radiation protection, not UVA (ultraviolet-A) protection. Both types of UV light lead to skin damage and cancer so it’s vital that sunscreens protect from UVA as well as UVB. Make sure the product specifies protection from both or says “broad-spectrum” on the label.
5 other sunscreen booby traps to know about:
- Despite advertising claims, no sunscreen is “waterproof” or “sweatproof,” according to the FDA. “Water resistant” sunscreens must be reapplied after 40 minutes of sweaty activity or swimming.
- As crazy as it sounds, certain sunscreen ingredients break down in sunlight! Some ingredients also break down over time, the FDA says, and that deterioration may be speeded by sun exposure. So throw away last year’s bottles and keep your sunscreen in a shaded spot when outdoors. The Environmental Working Group, a public health advocacy organization, found that 54 percent of sunscreens contain ingredients that become unstable when exposed to light and might not offer the advertised protection. The group lists what it deems the “best” sunscreens here.
- Don’t look for “sunblock.” The FDA states that no product completely blocks UV rays. “Sunscreen” is a more accurate term.
- Watch out for human error and don’t be frugal with sun protection. “Most sunscreen users still get burned because they do not apply enough sunscreen to begin with,” Dr. Taylor says. Slather sunscreen on thickly, covering all exposed skin. Pay attention to the areas that usually get missed: ears, around the eyes, neck (all the way around!), hands, feet and toes.
- Use sunscreen or wear long-sleeved clothing when driving, since side-window glass can let in UVA rays as can some windows in buildings. And remember that water, sand, concrete and snow all increase the reflection of sunlight, so put on more sunscreen and shorten your exposure time.
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