Protection from sun exposure is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach.   One of the biggest ways you can reduce your risk for skin cancer is to know how to stay safe in the sun.  The sun’s UV rays can penetrate skin on cloudy and hazy days and can even reflect off surfaces like water, cement, sand and snow. UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen. And about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are caused by excessive sun exposure (ultraviolet radiation).   

How can you protect against skin cancer all year around?

One of the ways to protect your skin and decrease your risk for skin cancer is to avoid direct sun exposure during the hours between 10 am and 4 pm.  These hours are the most hazardous UV exposure hours of the day.  Here are some more tips for prevention:

• • Seek shade, especially during midday hours
  • Wear clothing to protect exposed skin: Loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants.  Darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors.
  • Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade face, head, ears and neck: Canvas material (or tightly woven fabric) works best.
  • Wear sunglasses that block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible
  • Use sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB protection: The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes.  Put on sunscreen 15-30 minutes before you go outside, even on cloudy or cool days.  Must reapply if you swim, sweat or are outside for more than 2 hours.  Use water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. In fact, it is probably more common than you think. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life.  In fact, every year, there are about 3.5 million cases of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell skin cancer are diagnosed. It is estimated that in 2015, melanoma (a more severe type of skin cancer) accounted for more than 73,000 cases of skin cancer. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined. If you have any suspicious spots, moles, etc. on your body, be sure to see a dermatologist.