 Utah
has the highest incidence of skin cancer per
capita in the country. Why? The population
is predominantly Caucasian and everyone lives
at altitude.
The sun injures your skin with ultraviolet
light. These invisible wavelengths from the
sun are most intense during the summer, particularly
during the middle of the day. Excessive exposure
to these rays causes suntans and sunburns
that are evidence of injury to the skin. Repeated
suntans and sunburns over a lifetime damage
the skin causing premature aging (wrinkles
and irregularities of pigment) as well as
various benign and cancerous growths (basal
cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas,
and the especially dangerous melanomas).
The effects of ultraviolet injury are difficult
to notice at first because they happen slowly
over a long period of time. You can enjoy
time in the sun without unnecessarily damaging
your skin by avoiding sunburn and minimizing
suntans. Remember a dark tan is never healthy.
1. Avoid mid-day sun (from the
hours of 10:30am and 2:30pm).
2. Wear appropriate cover-up clothing, including
a hat or visor.
3. Protect your eyes with sunglasses.
4. Apply sunscreen liberally and frequently,
especially to kids.
We recommend a SPF (Skin Protection Factor)
of at least 15. There are waterproof sunscreens
that will remain effective even after heavy
sweating and swimming. However, it never hurts
to re-apply.
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