Tips for sun protection

Tips for sun protection: ASC uS:

Avoidance
Sunscreen
Clothing
Self-check

Avoidance

The best sun protection is sun avoidance. Seek shade if you can, especially between 10 AM to 4 PM, which are the peak sun hours.

Sunscreen

Use sunscreen with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor, this is the number on most sunscreen bottles) of 30 to 50, or more, that protects from both Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) wavelength light. Even though the protection is called "broad", it is not complete. Remember: sun avoidance is the best sun protection. Sunscreens with added UVA protection should contain Titanium dioxide, Zinc oxide, or Parsol 1789, also known as Avobenzone.

Use sun protection if spending time outside for 15 minutes or more. Apply 20-30 minutes before going out and remember to reapply every 2 hours. No sunscreen is truly water proof and it will wash away with sweat, swimming and rubbing.

Clothing

Wear tightly woven, loose fitting (cooler) long sleeved clothing, UV-blocking sun glasses (eyes need sun protection as well) and wide-brimmed hat. Straw hats with holes are not suitable because light still gets through. Wear UV protective "Rash Guard" shirts.

Self-check

Consider monthly self-skin checks/examinations, where you check for any color/size change in skin spots/moles.

Related reading:

The Skin Cancer Foundation's Guide to Sunscreens http://buff.ly/2c84ujA
Sunscreen Fact Sheet - British Association of Dermatologists http://buff.ly/2c8450u
Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.