Sun Exposure: Protecting Your Skin and Eyes from UV Rays

Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible form of radiation that can pass into the skin and damage its cells. A sunburn is a sign of that damage — and a tan is no healthier: it appears after the sun's rays have already killed some cells and damaged others, as the skin makes extra pigment that gives it some, but often not enough, protection. UV rays can harm skin in any season and at any temperature, and they can cause eye damage, wrinkles, skin spots and skin cancer — the most common cancer in the United States. People of every skin colour are at risk.

Protecting yourself

• Avoid the strongest sun. Stay out of the sun, or limit your time in it, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are most intense.
• Cover up. Wear long sleeves, trousers, broad-brimmed hats and other protective clothing.
• Use sunscreen. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
• Wear sunglasses — wraparound ones that block 100% of UV rays.
• Skip sunlamps and tanning beds.
• Check your skin regularly for changes in the size, shape, colour or feel of birthmarks, moles and spots. Such changes are a sign of skin cancer.

Getting the most from sunscreen

All sunscreens help protect against sunburn, but only broad-spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher help protect against the UV rays that raise the risk of skin cancer and early skin ageing. Broad-spectrum products protect against both UVA and UVB rays. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using one even on cloudy days, and:

• apply it generously to all uncovered skin, especially the nose, ears, neck, hands, feet and lips — an average-size adult or child needs at least one ounce to cover the body evenly;
• reapply at least every two hours, and more often when swimming or sweating;
• if you don't have much hair, put sunscreen on the top of your head or wear a hat;
• remember that no sunscreen blocks UV radiation completely, so use clothing, sunglasses and shade too;
• remember that no sunscreen is waterproof — check the label for its water resistance and when to reapply.

Ask a health care professional before putting sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Sun Exposure," drawing on the Food and Drug Administration. https://medlineplus.gov/sunexposure.html
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses," used for how tanning works, who is at risk, broad-spectrum sunscreens and how to apply them: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/tips-stay-safe-sun-sunscreen-sunglasses
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.