Wearing Sunscreen to Protect Your Skin
While your skin helps to protect your body from germs, bacteria, and other foreign invaders—your skin needs to be protected too. May is Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month, and we’re happy to share some tips to help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
How The Sun’s UV Rays Damage Your Skin
While getting some sun may be beneficial, too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can be harmful to your skin. Excessive sun exposure causes damage to skin cells. While this may result in sunburn initially, frequent exposure can lead to the development of skin cancer.
Which Sunscreen to Use
The American Cancer Society states that you should opt for a sunscreen labeled as being “broad spectrum.” This means that the sunscreen can protect you from UVA and UVB radiation.
It is also recommended that you use a sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more. Sunscreens with SPF 30 and higher help to filter out about 97 percent of the sun’s UV rays, which is the type of radiation responsible for causing sunburn and skin cancer.
Properly Applying Sunscreen
Whether it’s the peak of summer or the dead of winter, it is advised that you wear sunscreen daily to help protect your skin from the sun’s rays. Apply your sunscreen about 30 minutes before heading outdoors to allow it to adhere to your skin properly. Continue applying your sunscreen every hour and a half to two hours while spending time outdoors to keep your skin protected.
Primary Care in Minneapolis
At The Good Clinic, our philosophy is that you’re in charge of your health—we are here to support you. Good health happens when patients have a close relationship with their primary care team.
Whether you need an annual check-up, have health concerns, or anything in between—call (612) 284-8206 to schedule your next visit.