How to Prevent Skin Burning?

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and is also the most preventable through skin cancer awareness and skin cancer detection
• The best and most effective way of preventing skin cancer is preventing sun damage or preventing a sun burn
• Always take precautions before going out to lay in the sun, such as using a product with at least an SPF of 15 in it

By now, you probably already know that sun burns are going to make you more likely to develop skin cancer later in life. You may also know that the supposedly attractive summer glow of a tan is actually caused by damage being done to your skin even if you don’t burn. While we may still not have abandoned the idea of a bronzed body being beautiful in youth, we certainly don’t embrace the results they have on our skin as we age, including wrinkles and liver spots. However, you don’t have to abandon the outdoors to preserve the beauty and health of your skin. Below are some tips that will help you prevent skin burning.

Avoid Excessive UV Light

UV (Ultraviolet) light is what hits our skins thanks to the sun and does enough damage to cause a temporary change in our skin pigmentation. While getting a little sun exposure can be good for your body thanks to the Vitamin D it produces, you need to know when the UV light is going to be at its strongest so you can stay indoors or take precautions against the dangers.

And that’s where the high UV index comes into the picture. The National Weather Service developed a UV index to measure the intensity of the light that was bombarding the planet. Clouds, humidity, and other conditions can affect the levels of UV rays you’ll be exposed to outdoors so understanding this ranking system can help you know when precautions really are needed. The EPA has the daily ratings posted so you can look for your city. Remember that level 1 is going to stand for no risk while the index can go above 11 for days of very intense UV rays.

Keeping the Skin Safe

If you want to prevent skin burning, there are some precautions you can take besides paying attention to the UV index on a regular basis. First, you should pay attention to when you are going to be outdoors. If possible, spend time outdoors before 10 am and after 4 pm. During the summer, you’ll still quite a bit of sunlight time that way but you won’t have to worry about the impact of direct UV rays as much.

Second, always apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before you are going into the sun. You want to look for an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15 which should be applied liberally all over the exposed parts of your body. If you’re going to be gone for a long time, take some with you because you’ll need to reapply every 3 to 5 hours. You should also have special sunscreen for your lips, nose, and cheeks.

Third, if you’re going to be in the water, take special precautions. Because the sun is attracted to the water and because the coolness of the water is deceptive, you can easily get a severe burn while swimming. Just using sunscreen isn’t going to be enough. Most of the products wash off in water. Even waterproof varieties will only last for 30 minutes in the water. If you’re going to be swimming, make sure to choose the right type of sunscreen, limit your lips to half hour intervals, and definitely avoid swimming in direct UV sunlight.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.