Save your own skin
It may be a bit premature to start talking about sun safety, but it will be summer before we know it. Well, that's not entirely true -- the calendar is a pretty good indicator of when summer is here, so we'll be quite aware. Oh yeah, plus the temperature will jump up to the 80's and 90's (maybe even higher, depending on where you call home), so I think it's safe to say that summer will arrive just when we expected it to.
With that being the case, part of being prepared for the solstice is knowing how to protect yourself against the elevated risk of skin cancer during this time of year.
Start by limiting your exposure to only 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight. This doesn't mean that you have to be a vampire, waiting until dark to leave your house because you've already been outside for 20 minutes. What it does mean is that you would do well to not fall asleep while lying on your beach blanket. Next, be sure to drink plenty of water. It will help prevent dehydration and also protects the skin. You may also want to drink some coffee, since caffeine was shown in laboratory studies to reduce the risk of UV-induced skin cancer in mice. And lastly, don't forget that sunscreen -- as effective as it seemingly is -- does not last forever. A good sized glob of SPF15 will only last about 30 minutes, at which point you should apply more and/or head for some shade.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-03-2008 @ 10:21PM
marcie0305 said...
One note, we need the sun to produce vitamin D in our bodies. I use a sunscreen-based makeup on my face most days, but tend to spend part of a day without it until I notice slight "pink" and then apply. But that's just me :)
~Marcie
http://feedingblackmail.blogspot.com/
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