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1. The sun doesn’t know you’re not at the beach. Casual daily sun exposure is the most sun exposure that an adult gets and is cumulative. Long wave ultraviolet rays go through car windows. We see more skin cancer on the left side of the body that’s the driver’s side
2. Wear daily lotion with sunscreen that has SPF of at least 30. Wearing this sunscreen lotion every day helps prevent daily inadvertent sun damage and wrinkling.
3. When you are really outside with significant exposure i.e. hiking, biking, swimming, jogging, golf-then you need to wear broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with at least SPF of 30-50.
a. Sunscreen needs to be re-applied every 2 hours that you are outside because it is rubbed off, sweat off, and it loses its potency.
4. Even on cloudy days, sunscreen should be worn. Protection from sun exposure important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can reach you on cloudy and hazy days as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.
5. Wear wide-brimmed hats that shade the face, neck, and scalp as well as sunglasses that screen out for 100% of UV rays. Wrap around sunglasses work best to keep out all UV rays.
6. UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rated clothing is superior to wearing sunscreen on those covered areas because this special clothing screens out 98% of the sun’s ray. Plus no need for re-application like with sunscreen! Swim Shirts (rash guard shirt) are recommended when swimming.
a. T-shirts only have UPF of around 5-6. Wet t-shirts have even lower UPF rating.
b. Loose fitting tightly woven clothing and dark colors provide more protection than tight lighter colored clothing.
c. Brands of UPF rated clothing include: Coolibar (www.coolibar.com) and Sun Precautions (sunprecautions.com)
7. Perform monthly skin exams.
8. Seek shade! The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m daylight saving time ( 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) are the most hazardous for UV exposure in the continental United States.
9. Patient with more skin pigmentation still need to practice safe sun practices. Remeber, even Bob Marley died of malignant melanoma.
10. We recommend Vitamin D Supplements at a dose of 600 IU/day. We do not recommend sun exposure as a source of vitamin D because sunlight is a carcinogen.
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