Dr. Aaron's Blog

Cover Up!

August 19, 2014 All by Aaron Van Gaver

Cover Up! Protecting yourself from the sun.

Now that we are into August and everyone is enjoying the beautiful sunny weather, let’s take a minute to remember how to keep SUN SAFE and SUN SMART.

Covering up in the sun is incredibly important.  Everyone is potentially at risk for excessive sun exposure.  There are many issues with increased sun exposure (besides a sun burn) that we might forget about such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke/sunstroke, sun damage and skin cancer; all of which can be dangerous.

For me, as a bald man, I make sure to apply sunscreen on my cheeks, nose, ears and shoulder as well as wear my ball cap. These are the most common areas that people burn, and these sensitive areas are also where we see most of the complications due to the sun.

Some helpful hints to protect your skin from the sun:

  • Avoid the sun as much as possible when it is the strongest (usually mid-day)
  • Cover up by wearing a hat that protects the face and neck as these areas are most commonly affected by sun damage
  • Wear t-shirts and shorts to help to cover more areas of your body from the sun
  • Last but not least, don’t forget your sunglasses to protect your eyes.  

Wearing clothing that helps protect you from the sun and UV rays is an excellent way to help prevent sun damage, but it is also important to make sure to also reapply sunscreen often!!

If you’d like to read more about the Sun and your Health, please follow the link below:
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/sun-and-health