By Staff
Summer is coming and that means those wonderful sunrays will follow! So you have heard it time and time again to wear protective sun lotion. In this article we are going to look at some helpful tips to keep your skin healthy for those hot summer days.
Helpful tips for the beach:
1. Rub on your sunscreen before you throw it into your beach bag. You have to give the sunscreen awhile to sink into your skin.
2. After swimming towel off thoroughly. More of the sun's rays penetrate wet skin than dry skin.
3. Keep track of the time. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is when the light is most intense. The peak of the ultraviolet rays is between noon and 2 p.m.
4. Check the weather channel for the UV Index Report. The higher the number, the shorter you should be out in the sun.
5. Make sure to protect your lips. The thin skin on your lips allows cancer to spread easily.
6. If you use a huge beach umbrella as a sun guard, know that it does not give you 100 percent protection from the sun. The sun is still able to bounce off the sand and water.
7. Even if not going to the beach it is a good idea to wear some type of lotion that has sun protection in it on a regular basis.
8. Do not forget even those cloudy days outside are just as dangerous as those sunny ones.
Don't forget to take these to the beach:
1. Wear clothes that will help block those powerful UV rays – darker shades and tight woven shirts.
2. Wear sunglasses that say they block rays 99 to 100 percent.
3. Bring a hat to shade your eyes, head and face. Straw hats are fashionable but they easily let the sun shine through.
4. Water, water, water! The sun will zap all the moisture out of you. Make sure to drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
Why else should you limit your sun time?
1. UV rays dry out your hair, make it dull and prone to breakage.
2. Sun exposure can raise your risk of cataracts, which can lead to blindness.
3. You want to pass for 30 when you are a grandma? A dermatologist who examined a 90-year-old said her skin that was not exposed to the sunlight looked like a 30-year-old's. Her face, which was exposed to the sun, was wrinkled and spotted.
4. You value your life. Each year there are more than 47,000 new cases of melanoma.
Little known places to apply sunscreen:
Soles of your feet
Under your T-shirt
All around your eyes
Hands, both sides
The ridge around your armpits
Your hair's part and at least one-quarter inch into your hairline.
Good things about the sun:
It helps you snooze. Light can help synchronize your internal clock, which can help you sleep at night.
A little sunshine is good because it helps boost our serotonin levels.
Thought of the week: Spending 30 minutes at the tanner is equivalent to a full day of sunbathing. Some dermatologists report that people who regularly use tanning beds are at greater risk of developing melanoma than those who do not.
Look for next week's article when we look at why it is important to wear sunglasses.
Amy McKean is the adult programs director at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. She can be reached at Amckean23@wmconnect.com