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Be Sun Smart®:
Protect Yourself from the Sun
Take the
"Suntelligence" Survey!
Sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers, including melanoma.1,2 You can have fun in the sun and decrease your risk of skin cancer. Here's how to Be Sun
Smart®.
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Generously apply water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to all exposed skin. Re-apply approximately every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating. Look for the AAD SEAL OF RECOGNITIONTM on products that meet these criteria.
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Wear
protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.
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Seek
shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
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Protect children from sun exposure by playing in the shade, using protective clothing and applying sunscreen.
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Use
extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.
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Get
vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.3
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Avoid
tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you've been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.
- Check
your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.
1 American Cancer Society. 2008 Cancer Facts and Figures.
www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/2008CAFFfinalsecured.pdf
2 Robinson, JK. Sun Exposure, Sun Protection and Vitamin D. JAMA 2005; 294: 1541-43.
3 Hemminki K, Dong C. Subsequent cancers after in situ and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Arch Dermatol 2000;136:647-51.
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