Sun Safety For Your Skin

Maybe my family being filled with red-headed, blue-eyed children warranted my elders saying, “Get your hat on and put a shirt over your arms so you don’t burn. Watch your shadow guide. When he starts to grow shorter, you have to get in the shade or come inside.” I remember those adult instructions just before hearing the sound of a slamming screen door as we headed out for a summer day of play. 

Savvy sun safety is for everyone. The growing numbers of skin cancer cases and premature aging affect all skin colors and are affecting people as early as their 20’s. Teaching our youth in early childhood to take preventive measures against sun burns may save their lives from dangerous melanoma skin cancer and may also lead to happier feelings in their later adult years. A recurring wish that seniors have shared with me is that they had taken better care of their skin, because while the rest of their body isn’t working so great, at least their skin would be nicer. Skin appearance and condition is significant to our state of happiness. Managing the effects of sun exposure in youth is a precious gift to a child, as it will last their entire lifetime.

Consider these safety tips for your outdoor activities. These are generally accepted practices from many sources. If you have questions, seek the advice of your physician.

• Teach your children about their shadow. When the shadow is shorter than they are tall, it’s time to seek shade or add protective clothing. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Many people are unaware that the most intense UV rays occur in April—just in time for spring gardening and golf games.
• Protective clothing such as hats, long sleeved shirts, pants, closed-toe shoes and sunglasses are essentials when heading to outdoor activities. Clothing and hats should be a tight-weave type to prevent rays from getting through the fabric. Hats need a wide brim to cover the ears and back of the neck. Check sunglasses to make sure they are UVA and UVB rated.
• For incidental exposure, apply an SPF product of at least 15 that provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. For longer exposure and when near reflective surfaces, increase the SPF to 30 and re-apply every 2 hours or as instructed on the product’s label. Re-apply after swimming or sweating. Don’t be fooled by cloudy days, as you can burn then too.
• Read the product instructions and warnings on all SPF products. Generally, they should not be applied to children under 6 months; refer to your physician for advice.   
• Surfaces such as concrete, light building materials, sand, water and snow reflect UVA and UVB rays.  Make sure you apply SPF to areas under the chin, nose and arms.
• A healthy diet and vitamin supplements are a way to help meet your Vitamin D needs. Check with your physician for guidance.
• Use a sunless self-tanning product for a “no-sun” tan. There are bronzing powders that can create that summer glow without potentially harmful sun exposure.
• Know the ABCD’s of melanoma: Asymmetry--one half does not match other half; Border Irregularity--edges are ragged or notched; Color--pigmentation is not uniform; and Diameter--width is larger than a pencil eraser. Growth of a mole should be checked.
• Have a regular full-body skin check-up for early detection of skin cancer. Make a skin reference map for each family member. Note particular moles or spots where changes have occurred since your last checkup. Take the map(s) with you to your checkup. 

Be safe in the sun and have a great summer,

Carol Leigh Mason, an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay