Summer is here, with several hot months still ahead of us.
As we enjoy our abundant sunshine, it’s easy to forget about protecting ourselves from the damaging UV aspect of the sun’s rays which are escalating with climate warming and air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.
Sunburn and long periods of exposure to the sun’s UV rays may lead to skin cancer.
Why take the risk? So here’s a reminder about how to protect yourself:
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- Whatever your skin tone, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 20 or higher.
- Apply sunscreen correctly – e.g. 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours after swimming.
- Don’t be misled by cloudy weather, the UV rays are still present.
- Even in the shade and wearing a sunhat you can still get sunburnt by UV rays reflected off water surfaces.
- Stay out of the sun between 10am and 3pm when UV radiation is most intense.
- Wearing protective clothing is a great help. Look for the CANSA seal of recognition for adherence to international safety standards. And your eyes will thank you for wearing sunglasses with a UV protection rating of UV400.
With skin cancers showing an increase in incidence worldwide, including South Africa, be sun-savvy and stay safe this summer. In the first of many such events, CANSA SunSmart collaborated with the South African Cricket Association, interacting with the young professional male and female Cape Cobras. Information and individual consultations were given aimed at lowering the risk of skin cancer for our cricketers who spend many hours exposed to the sun whilst playing the sport we all love.