Skin Cancer Prevention 5 Ways to Protect Yourself from UV Rays

While allowing the body to soak some sun especially after the winter season might sound like a good idea, however, do you know the danger you are exposing your skin to? The type (melanoma) of skin cancer caused by the ultraviolet rays of the sun happens to the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Due to the adverse nature of the skin cancer resulting from the sun, it can be prevented easily by protecting your skin from the direct rays of the sun. When preventive measures against the sun are applied daily, the chances of developing skin cancer will reduce significantly. Here are five ways to adopt towards protecting yourself from ultraviolet rays.

Avoid exposing your skin to direct sunlight

Since the light from the sun is the primary cause of this condition, preventing the exposure of your skin to the direct rays of the sun should be the first step to take. Though our skin requires sunlight, exposing it to the sun from 10 am to 4 pm is not a very good idea. The reason is that during middays, the ultraviolet rays are very intense that exposing the skin at those periods will harm it.

Use Sunglasses That Block UV Rays

The eye is an important part of the body and should be protected from the dangerous effects of the sun. If you will be exposed to the sun for an extended period, ensure you make use of sunglasses that blocks off the effect from the sun. A perception is to believe that the darker the glass, the better the prevention. The protection against UV on the lenses of the sunglasses are chemicals that are applied and has nothing to do with the colour.

Utilise Sunscreen Properly

Though we are to avoid the direct exposure of the skin to sunlight, however, the complete avoidance may be hard. If you have to be under the ultraviolet rays of the sun at midday, you can add layers of protection to your skin by using sunscreen. Though sunscreen does not offer 100 percent protection against ultraviolet rays, it will help to alleviate the effect it will have on your skin. Get a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor probably greater than fifteen, because the higher the sun protection factor, the higher the amount of protection your skin will have.

Stay away from tanning beds

Contrary to what people think, indoor tanning beds can be more harmful than tanning your skin in the sun. The reason behind this assumption is because these indoor tanning beds use only UVA rays and these rays penetrate the body more deeply than the UVB rays making UVA rays more dangerous. Another bad side of UVA rays is that they don’t cause sunburn, making it difficult to know when your skin is being damaged by the rays. Instead of tanning your body, exposing the body to sunlight between eight to fifteen minutes is better.

Check with a Dermatologist

Even after applying all preventive measure that you know, it is important to see a dermatologist at least once every year. But if you notice anything usual about your skin, don’t hesitate to see your dermatologist.

It’s never too late, before addressing any issue related to your smile, gums, teeth, and other oral or in general health issues, consult with Dr. Jean-Jacques Edderai. A dental prophylaxis or cleaning as previously mentioned including our check-up every three to four months will allow Dr. Edderai to keep a watchful eye on your oral health and prevent cavities or minor problem before they start. For answers to some of the most commonly asked questions, visit my FAQ page at http://www.northmiamibeachdentist.com/faqs/.

Remember the best advice from your Dentist “Unaddressed issues will never get resolved by themselves”.

Copyright Dr. Jean-Jacques Edderai