Looking After Your Skin Health During the Summer

Protecting Your skin Health This Summer

Your skin plays a vital role in supporting your overall health and protecting your body from foreign invaders. However, your skin needs to be protected too.

In light of Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month, the health experts at ATRIO are here to share some tips to help you look after your body's largest organ.

Understanding Skin cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting people in the United States, making it vital that we understand what can increase your risk of developing it. Skin cancer happens when your skin cells experience damage to their DNA, causing them to grow out of control.

The most common and preventable cause of this type of cellular damage is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV0 light. This type of light can come from the sun itself or from UV tanning beds.

Skin cancer happens when abnormal skin cells in the outermost layer of your skin begin to grow out-of-control. This is brought on by unrepaired DNA damage, causing mutations at a cellular level. This rapid growth and reproduction of abnormal cells leads to the formation of malignant (cancerous) tumors. The most common causes of skin cancer are prolonged exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and excessive use of UV tanning beds.

How to Protect Your Skin

Wear Sunscreen

Although there are plenty of sunscreen options out there, not all sunblocks are built the same. Be sure that your sunscreen of choice is clearly labeled as being “broad spectrum.” This means that the sunscreen is able to provide protection from both UVA and uVB rays. You should also opt for sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater.

Other Tips to Protect Your Skin

While wearing sunscreen is an excellent step in protecting your epidermis from the sun’s harmful rays, there are plenty of other ways to keep your skin healthy this summer. In addition to wearing sunblock, try some of these tips:

• Wear sunglasses with UV protection.
• Wear protective clothing.
• Spend a majority of your time outdoors in shaded areas.
• Wear brimmed hats.

If you have any additional concerns about your skin health, be sure to speak with your primary care doctor about how you can keep your skin healthy all summer long.