It’s finally warm and sunny, Nebraska! We’ve had to be patient this spring. And now, we all have the fever to get out and soak in those hot UV rays. The problem with this is our pasty, white, winter skin’s vulnerability to sunburn. If we’re not careful about applying liberal amounts of sunscreen and repeating this every two hours, it’s very likely we will end up with angry, sunburned skin.
It is widely proven that sunburns increase our risk of melanoma, the deadly form of skin cancer to which the month of May is devoted. In fact, intermittent sun exposure resulting in frequent, even mild, sunburns increases melanoma risk more than occupational sun exposure.
The take-home here is that people with lighter skin types and white collar jobs should be extra vigilant about sun protection throughout the summer, especially on weekends when the sun is hard to resist.
I’m not saying you have to look like this . . .
but please be careful. ????
Prevent weekend sunburns by:
-Avoiding the peak intensity of the sun during 10am to 2pm
-Wearing an SPF of at least 30 and reapplying every one to two hours
-Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays
-Putting a shot glass full of sunscreen on 20 minutes prior to exposure
-Limiting cumulative hours in the sun
-Seeking the shade
-Wearing UPF clothing and stylish hats like the one featured above ????
Bring it on, Summer!
Rebecca Reinke, PA-C
#sunprotectionaficionado
