Summer Sun Safety Tips

Protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. It's summer again, and for most of us, a lot more sun exposure. Protecting your skin from harmful UVA and UVG rays is essential to preventing skin cancer, and it's not a bad idea if you want to avoid wrinkles, sun spots or other signs of aging. Here are some tips from the Skin Cancer Foundation: See a dermatologist once a year - Just before bathing suit season, is a good time to go. You can get prevention tips; find out your risk factors for skin cancer, and determine whether you need to do monthly self-exams.

Don't Forget Sun Screen - It's best to put on a generous amount 30 minutes before heading outside. You also need to reapply after two hours, especially if you're doing vigorous activities or swimming. Sunscreens should have an SPF factor of at least 15, whether you use a gel, lotion, spray or stick . Not all cover ups are created equal - Clothing can offer great skin protection, but not all clothing offers the same protection.

A white T-shirt has an SPF factor of only 7, while even a dark green shirt of the same fabric is SPF 10. Laundry additives such as Sun Guard can be added together with clothes in the wash to substantially increase their SPF protection. Wear a Hat - A broad brimmed hat that expands 3 to 4 inches around the entire head is best.

Baseball caps give great coverage to the face, but fail to protect the neck and shoulders. Don't forget your eyes - It's easy to forget the delicate skin around the eyes and that the eyes themselves need protection too. Wearing UV protective sunglasses can also help prevent glaucoma later in life.