Mahaska Health Partnership Cautions to Protect your skin from the Sun

Mahaska Health Partnership

OSKALOOSA – Everyone needs to think about sun safety in the summer. Adult Nurse Practitioner Lisa Nelson said people can get sunburn even on a cloudy day. She recommends adopting and practicing safe sun protection to maintain healthy skin and reduce the incidence of skin cancer.

“Overexposure to the sun can result in skin cancer later in life,” Nelson said. “Sunlight consists of multiple types of ultraviolet rays: UVA, UVB, and UVC. The UVA rays pass effortlessly through the ozone layer and make up the majority of your sun exposure.”

According to the American Cancer Society, most UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, but enough of these rays pass through to cause serious skin damage. UVB rays are known for causing sunburns, cataracts, immune system damage and skin cancer.

Nelson recommends that people look for a sun block that states it has “broad spectrum” or blocks both UVA and UVB. Other important tips include:

· Buy a new sun block tube every summer. Never use sun block from last year. Sun block loses its protecting qualities after nine months. If you keep your sun block in a car, boat or in the heat, it loses is protective qualities in three months.

· The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you wear an SPF of 15 when spending small amounts of time outside: jogging, walking, shopping and driving your vehicle.

· Wear a higher SPF when you are outside for prolonged amounts of time: boating, swimming, sporting events, mowing the yard and gardening.

Other general sun safety tips include:

· Apply sun block every two hours

· An adult wearing a swim suit needs to apply about an ounce of sun block to be fully protected. A child needs to apply an amount equal the size of two quarters.

· Be sure to cover often missed areas such as ears, lips, around the eyes, hair lines or scalp, necks, hands and feet.

· Wear UV blocking sunglasses to protect the thin tissue on your eyelids. Children also need to wear sunglasses.

· Broad-rimmed hats and tightly woven clothing are great when gardening or doing yard work.

· Try to avoid the strongest rays of the day (between 10 am and 4 pm). If you are unable to avoid them, apply sunscreen as often as possible or every two hours.

· Always have babies and infants in shaded areas or completely out of the sun

Nelson suggests that if you must get that bronze summer glow, consider alternatives to sun tanning such as bronzing lotions or spray tanning. “The risk to your health is too great to justify spending unprotected time in the sun,” Nelson stressed. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, visit mahaskahealth.org.