Just wanted to give a shout out to everyone about the importance of sunscreen. And not just because our mother tells us to use it.

Did you know approximately 65% of melanoma is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, From either the sun or indoor tanning beds. That’s right tanning beds, in fact using tanning beds, before age 30 increases your risk of a melanoma diagnosis by 75% and occasional users can triple their chances. Melanoma is the most common form of cancers for young adults 25 – 29 years old, and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15 – 29 yrs. old.

  • DID YOU KNOW      UV rays are present all year long, but are stronger in the summer months. UV rays reflect off of water, sand, concrete, and penetrate glass, well you get the idea.
  • DID YOU KNOW     More then 90% of skin cancers are caused by the sun.  2 million people in the USA alone are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
  • DID YOU KNOW     Up to 90% of the visible  changes commonly attributed to aging  are caused by the sun. also after about 5 minutes of sun exposure there is a reverse effect and breaks down vitamin D, Its better to                                                  get vitamin D from your diet.

So what can you do to protect yourself. Limit your time in the sun between 10 am and 4 pm when the suns rays are the strongest. Wear protective clothing , long sleeves, long pants, broad rim hat and sunglasses. Be aware of medications that increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Use a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Look  for zinc oxide, titanium oxide, mexoryl since they block UVA rays better. Have an SPF of at least 30, reapply every 2 hrs. Water proof and sweat proof still needs reapplication.   There is so much more information out there, but I thought this is enough to maybe get you to use your sunscreen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Information gathered from : Melanoma Research foundation.

 

 

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