How to Protect Your Skin This Summer

Your skin is the largest organ that you have, which is why you need to keep it protected, no matter what the season is. During the summer months, skin protection and care become a top priority. Because your skin is the first layer of defense against the outside world and can give you key signs of your health, it is important to protect it from the sun’s rays (UV rays). ¹

If you aren’t protecting your skin from UV rays, especially during the summer months, it could cause lasting issues. So, whether you’re lounging on the beach or trying to beat the heat, learn how to best protect your skin this summer.

What Can Excess UV Exposure Cause?

If you get excessive UV exposure, without proper protection, it can cause various long-term problems such as:

• Skin damage

• Premature skin aging

• Skin cancer ²

Skin Damage and Premature Skin Aging

Exaggerated UV ray exposure can cause long-term issues such as skin damage or premature skin aging, also known as photoaging. This type of skin damage occurs due to ongoing exposure to ultraviolet A and B radiation. It can be caused by natural UV rays from the sun or artificial UV light sources like tanning beds or sun lamps. ³

Some symptoms of photoaging are:

• Spider veins on the nose, cheek, and neck

• Lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth

• Worry lines on the forehead that are always there

• Pigment changes in the skin, such as colored spots or patches, freckles, liver spots, etc.

These are just some of the signs that you may have skin damage from the sun or other artificial light sources. However, there are ways to treat damaged skin. It can be treated by removing spots or skin discoloration, smoothing out skin, and stimulating new skin by utilizing collagen-based products. Before doing any of these things to improve damaged skin, you should talk to a licensed dermatologist about which options are best for you and your skin.

Skin Cancer

Too much UV radiation can also cause skin cancer, which happens when the DNA in skin cells is damaged. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to skin cancer. ⁴ There are many kinds of skin cancer, with the most common being basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which can often be cured. The most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma. Melanoma is more likely to spread, making it harder to cure.

Skin cancer can happen on the parts of your body that get a lot of sun, such as the scalp, face, lips, arms, backs of your hands, ears, back, and legs. However, skin cancer can also happen on skin that doesn’t typically get sun, including the palms of hands, genitals, and under the fingernails and toenails. People with brown or black skin are more likely to get skin cancer on places that don’t typically get sun. ⁵

You should make sure to go to the doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• A new mole appears, or a current mole changes in size, shape, color, or bleeds

• A pearly or waxy bump on your face, ears, or neck

• A flat, pink/red, or brown colored patch or bump

• Sores that look crusty, have a depression in the middle, or bleed often

• Areas on your skin that look like scars

• A wound or sore that won’t heal, or that heals but comes back again

• A rough, scaly lesion that might itch, bleed, and become crusty

You should always follow the ABCDE rule, which tells you what signs to look for, such as Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, and Evolution. If you’re worried about a mole or skin lesion, you should make an appointment with your healthcare provider to evaluate it further. ⁶

In most cases, skin cancer can be prevented. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid too much sunlight and sunburn. But you should also make sure to protect your skin daily.

How To Protect Your Skin Daily

You can protect your skin daily by practicing sun safety, especially when the UV index forecasts rays that are 3 or higher in your area. You can practice sun safety by:

• Staying in the shade

• Wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs

• Wearing a hat with a wider brim to keep the sun off your face, head, ears, and neck

• Wearing sunglasses that wrap around and help to block both UVA and UVB rays

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher ⁷  

What To Know About Sunscreen?

Wearing sunscreen is one of the simplest ways that you can protect your skin and help prevent sunburn, early skin aging, and skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should use a water-resistant broad-spectrum sunscreen that is 30 SPF or higher. Every day, you should use sunscreen on skin that isn’t covered by clothing if you’ll be outside, since the sun emits harmful UV rays year-round. Even on cloudy days, 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate through the clouds.

Most adults need 1 ounce of sunscreen to fully cover skin that’s not covered by clothing, but that can depend on your body size. You should apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, and reapply the sunscreen every two hours if outside, or after swimming and sweating. ⁸

No matter what you’re up to this summer, make sure to protect your skin, wear some sunscreen, and enjoy the sun in moderation since your skin health is an important part of your overall physical health.

Sources:

1.      https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/11/keep-your-skin-healthy

2.      https://www.verywellhealth.com/too-much-sun-exposure-1298766

3.      https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5240-sun-damage-protecting-yourself

4.      https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/sun-uv-and-cancer/how-does-the-sun-and-uv-cause-cancer

5.      https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/skin-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20377605

6.      https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15818-skin-cancer

7.      https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/prevention/index.html

8.      https://www.aad.org/media/stats-sunscreen