Summer fun! Summer Sun! Skin Safety!

Summer fun! Summer Sun! Skin Safety!

Summer is a great time to relax and play in the sun. Whether you are gardening, swimming or just spending time outdoors, protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays—even on cloudy days—is very important, because skin damage from the sun can lead to skin cancer, the most common types being basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma. This last one is the most serious.

The best way to protect your skin is to put on sunscreen, with an SPF of at least 30. It is a best practice to apply sunscreen thirty minutes before venturing outside and if you are staying outside, reapply it every two hours. Here are a few other tips for protecting your skin:

  • Wear long sleeve shirts, pants and a hat;
  • If you wear a baseball cap, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your ears and the back of your neck;
  • Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses.

Besides protecting your skin and eyes, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist to have a full body skin check once a year.

Talk to your Work Stride oncology nurse navigator, who can answer your questions about skin cancer and help you understand how to protect yourself and your family. You can contact your nurse navigators at 844-446-6229, or email managecancer@jh.edu .

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