Did you know that 86% of Melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are preventable?
That is a staggeringly high statistic. Many of these preventions are in your control. We want to give you the right information to make sure you’re being safe in the sun. So here are our top tips you should live by this summer:
Wear sun cream
Apply your sun cream 30 minutes before going out in the sun and again just before going out. All sun cream has two protection ratings SPF and UVA that work together to protect your skin. They mean:
SPF– protects your skin against UVB, and rated on a scale of 2 to 50+ (the strongest protection)
UVA– UVA star rating measures the amount of UVA protection, up to 5 stars (the higher the better)
Hold onto your hat
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shades the face, neck and ears can give extra protection to parts exposed to the sun that we often forget about. Though straw hats are a cute choice they aren’t the best at sun protection as they often have holes around the brim. Instead choose a tightly woven fabric hat, such as canvas.
Shade is your friend
In the UK, the sun is strongest between 11am and 3pm from March to October. Try and spend as much of that time as you can in the shade. While in the shade keep an eye out for the position of the sun, as it moves throughout the day your shady spot might become sun-kissed. Reposition yourself or your shading tools regularly.
Know your skin
Get to know your skin and watch for changes. Look for new skin markings like moles, bumps, scaly spots, or places where your skin has changed colour. Watch moles for changes in size, texture, colour or shape.
Ban the tan
There’s no such thing as a safe tan. While you might think you have a nice ‘glow’, a tan is evidence of damage done to your skin. Try to avoid purposefully tanning (and using tanning beds). You can always get your tan over the counter.