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12 Habits That Can Save Your Life
Put on Sunscreen
Put on Sunscreen
That sun-kissed glow comes at a high price: painful sunburns, age spots and wrinkles and an increased risk of skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the most common of all the cancers — over 3.5 million skin cancers in more than 2 million people are diagnosed annually. But luckily, it’s also one of the most preventable forms of cancer.
To prevent deadly skin cancers and other sun damage, take these quick and easy precautions before you soak in the sun’s rays:
- Always wear sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays), an SPF of 30 or higher and that is water resistant.
- If you can, avoid the sun in the middle of the day (between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm) when ultraviolet rays, the ones that cause sunburn, are strongest.
- Wear protective clothing, especially when outdoors for a long period of time, such as long sleeves, skirts or pants, and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Protect your eyes with sunglasses that filter UV light.
By Brittany Doohan. Brittany Doohan is a health and lifestyle writer living in San Francisco. Additional reporting by Katie Lewin. Published February 26, 2013.
Reviewed by Joseph Sclafani, MD on April 16, 2015.
