Prevent Skin Cancer

At one time, skin cancer was a disease that primarily affected Caucasians, smokers, those with a history of the disease and people who worked outside. Today, every one of us is at risk. Over the past forty years, the cases of skin cancer have doubled every ten years. It's up to us to protect ourselves and our children from this awful disease.

There are several types of skin cancer, two of which can be quite lethal if left unattended. That's why it's so important to adhere to the following skincare tips. Some of the following information has been provided by NHS Direct Online, the world's largest healthcare organization.

Taking care in the sun is the best way to protect your skin from developing cancer. First and foremost, do not allow your skin to burn. The damage is done as soon as the skin becomes burned, so cover up with sunscreen and loose fitting clothing.

Your arms and legs should be covered whenever possible. This will help to protect you from skin cancer and from heat stroke as well. It's also important to drink plenty of water to replace the natural fluids that are lost on hot days.

Keep in mind that tightly woven fabrics will provide the best protection from the sun. You should also avoid direct sunlight during the afternoon sun from 11am to 3pm as this is when the sun is at its strongest. If you must go outside during these times then make sure to cover up with clothes, hat and sunglasses and apply plenty of sunscreen.

You should always use a sun protection lotion with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Children, people who live in constant exposure to the hot sun and fair-skinned people should choose a lotion with an SPF of up to 40.

Before you venture out into the sun, make sure that your entire body is covered by sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. At the absolute minimum, make sure that your face, hands, feet and neck are covered. Remember that the most vulnerable parts of your body are the spots that are not usually exposed to sunlight, so keep those protected as well.

Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun, and reapply it every couple of hours. Sweat, water and friction from towels and lawn furniture will cause the lotion to rub away, so it's important to keep reapplying it. Even waterproof lotion should be reapplied after swimming.

If you plan on being in the water, it's even more important to use a high SPF sunscreen. The sun's UVA and UVB rays are able to reach you even through two feet of water. Fog and clouds will not stop these damaging rays, either. While the ozone layer used to provide this protection for us, the damage that we've caused with pollution means that UV protection is now up to us.

In addition to the skin, you must protect your head and eyes from the sun's damaging rays. Always wear a hat and sunglasses that have UVA and UVB filters in the lenses. Ultraviolet rays can harm the retinas of the eyes and create cataracts.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

Contributor Kenneth Surr contributes articles to several Internet sites, on mans health and health education subjects.
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