Sun Protection Tips

Sun protection and avoidance should be daily considerations, not only when you are planning on going to the beach or spending a prolonged period of time outdoors. Incidental exposure to the sun, for example, while driving can be considerable. The following tips should help you minimize your cumulative life-time sun exposure and contribute to the long-term health and appearance of your skin.

An SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 should be applied daily to sun-exposed areas. Many moisturizers with sunscreen components are available.
When participating in outdoor activities that entail exposure times greater than 10-15 minutes, a SPF of 30 or greater is recommended.
Re-apply sunscreen every 2 hours during outdoor activities and every hour if sweating or swimming.
Do not be fooled into thinking that when the weather is cloudy, the harmful rays of the sun are not reaching you. Continue to observe sun protection measures even when there is cloud cover.
Select a broad-spectrum sunscreen with components which block UVA and UVB rays.
Seek shade when outdoors.
Cover up with protective clothing:
Long-sleeve shirts and long pants
Clothing with tightly woven fabric
Wide-brimmed hat (3-inch brim or wider all around)
UV-blocking sunglasses
Avoid the sun between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, the period of highest UVB intensity.
Avoid tanning, sunburns and tanning booths.
Keep newborns out of the sun (sunscreen can be applied to infants over the age of 6 months)