On average, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they’re 70. That’s a scary statistic.
But if we know that exposure to harmful UV rays is one of the causes of skin cancer, why is it that we still don’t always know how to protect our skin?
You don’t have to give up your outdoor lifestyle to avoid damage from the sun. But there are some adjustments that can be made to help protect you.
In this post, we’ll go over how to protect your skin from the sun so you can continue living your best life. Make these things a priority and know you’re making the effort to keep your skin healthy.
Keep reading to learn more.
1. Wear a Wide-Brimmed Hat
Adding a wide-brimmed hat to your beachwear is a great way to help minimize your head’s exposure to the sun. In addition, they also make very cute additions to any outfit.
Make sure to find one that has a brim at least 3 inches in diameter. This will ensure it’s covering your face, neck, nose, and ears. Hats with narrower brims can still be helpful, but will likely leave parts of your head exposed.
2. Reapply Sunscreen
Most people know that they should wear sunscreen when they’re out in the sun. But many people either don’t know or choose to ignore the fact that you’re supposed to reapply it every so often.
Wearing sunscreen is a good first step to avoiding sun damage, but it is only the first step. You should be reapplying sunscreen about every 2 hours. Or even more often if you’re in the water.
While no one wants to have to get out of the water and reapply, it’s necessary in order to maintain healthy skin.
3. Wear a Protective Shirt
For those that know themselves well enough to know that they’ll forget to reapply their sunscreen, a protective sun shirt is a great alternative. There are all kinds of different options for sun shirts for women. They come in many sizes, colors, and styles allowing you to wear them pretty much anywhere.
When choosing a shirt, look for ones labeled with a UV protection factor. The higher this number is, the more protection the shirt offers.
4. Your Lips Need Protection Too
The mouth is often overlooked when considering sun protection. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less important to protect your lips.
When going out into the sun, be sure to include a lip balm or chapstick that contains SPF. And like your sunscreen, you’ll need to reapply your lip protection often to avoid damage.
Learn How to Protect Your Skin From the Sun
You should now have a better idea of how to protect your skin from the sun. Your skin is the largest organ in/on your body, so you have to take care of it before it’s too late.
For more like this, check out the other articles in our health and lifestyle categories.
