Articles | Links | BGH Library

Enjoy Your Summer with Safety
Source: American Cancer Society, July 2002

Summer is here - and that means longer days and more time in the sun. With the kids out of school, you’re probably doing a lot more outdoors. But as you enjoy this time of year, don’t forget to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s harmful effects.

Blending a few basic sun safety habits into your daily routine can save your skin not only from short-term damage like sunburn and tanning, but also long-term damage like wrinkles and cancer. Take just a few simple steps, and you can look forward to a healthy, happy summer.

Before you head outside for the day, protect your skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun with Slip! Slop! Slap!^®

• Slip on a shirt made of tightly woven material that you can’t see through when held up to the light.
• Slop on sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. And reapply after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
• Slap on a hat with a wide brim to protect your face, neck, and ears; add sunglasses to protect your eyes and the surrounding skin. (If you choose a baseball cap, don’t forget to put sunscreen on your exposed skin.)

Watch the clock also. During the middle of the day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the sun’s rays are the strongest. Try to plan activities in the shade or indoors during those hours.

Sun safety doesn’t have to be time consuming, but it can be lifesaving. Research suggests severe sunburns in childhood increase the risk for skin cancer in adulthood. So make sure children, in particular, are protected from the sun.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Most cases are highly curable; however, the most serious form - melanoma - can be deadly. This year, more than 53,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma, and more than 7,000 will die. Individuals with light skin, a personal or family history of melanoma, moles and freckles, or a history of severe sunburn early in life are at the highest risk. That’s why it’s so important to take just a few extra minutes to protect your skin before you go outside.

Don’t let a careless day in the sun drain the fun out of your summer. Protect your skin every day, now and year-round. For more tips on sun safety and to find out how to detect skin cancer early, when it’s most treatable, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.