10 Smart Ways to Lower Your Skin Cancer Risk
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- 1. Stop trying to get a "healthy" tan from the sun.
- 2. Know when to stay out of the sun completely.
- 3. Learn the truth about UVA and UVB rays.
- 4. Know the limits of your SPF.
- 5. Try the new-and-improved sun-protection ingredients.
- 6. Remember when to apply -- and reapply -- sunscreen.
- 7. Figure out how much sunscreen you need.
- 8. Wear a hat.
- 9. Wear clothes with built-in protection.
- 10. Use Retin-A to repair sun damage.
- Sun-Proof Your Body with Dietary Supplements
1. Stop trying to get a "healthy" tan from the sun.
What do you get when you combine your love of the sun-kissed look with gobs of new information and products? A little confusion. A little rationalizing. And a high rate of melanoma. Currently, one person dies from it about every hour in the United States. We've done the leg (and arm and face) work to give you everything you need to protect yourself.
1. Stop trying to get a "healthy" tan from the sun. "I tell my patients there's no such thing,' says Chicago-based dermatologist Scott B. Phillips, MD, an American Academy of Dermatology expert on skin and endurance sports. "Exposure of any kind does some damage to your skin," he says. Any time you go outside without sufficient skin protection you risk absorbing enough harmful rays to increase your chances of getting melanoma -- even if you don't get an ounce of color. If you want a bronzed look, use a self-tanning product.
