Memorial Day Weekend Reminders about Staying Safe in the Sun
By: NBC News
Updated: May 25, 2012
It's the first holiday weekend of the summer, and that means fun in the sun for a lot of people.
But instead of making food and drink the top things to take with you, experts say sunscreen should be number one.
Dr. Joseph Merola of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston warns that the truth is no color from the sun is safe.
He says people should invest early and often in sunscreens that offer broad-spectrum, UVA/UVB protection with an SPF of 50.
The trick is to slather it everywhere.
"The earlobes are a huge area that people forget, and we see types of pre-cancerous skin lesions called actinic keratosis develop on the ears very very frequently," he notes.
Although spray-on sunscreens are convenient, more can end up in the air than on your skin.
If you want to boost your personal sun protection factor, a lot of brands of make-up now contain sunscreen. They include powders that you can re-apply all day.
Dermatologists say a typical wide-brimmed hat can offer an ultraviolet protection factor of at least 5.
Most clothing also has a protection factor of about 5, but you can increase that number by washing clothes in products like Rit Sunguard.
"Washing your laundry with that material increases the SPF of your clothing to about 30," Dr. Merola points out.
Lips are another spot people forget to protect, especially the lower lip.
Dermatologists say petroleum-based sunscreen chapsticks tend to stay on longest.
They're several sunscreen options that can help you last longer without getting burned.
Click here for more information on Sunscreen: How To Select, Apply, and Use It Correctly.
But instead of making food and drink the top things to take with you, experts say sunscreen should be number one.
Dr. Joseph Merola of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston warns that the truth is no color from the sun is safe.
He says people should invest early and often in sunscreens that offer broad-spectrum, UVA/UVB protection with an SPF of 50.
The trick is to slather it everywhere.
"The earlobes are a huge area that people forget, and we see types of pre-cancerous skin lesions called actinic keratosis develop on the ears very very frequently," he notes.
Although spray-on sunscreens are convenient, more can end up in the air than on your skin.
If you want to boost your personal sun protection factor, a lot of brands of make-up now contain sunscreen. They include powders that you can re-apply all day.
Dermatologists say a typical wide-brimmed hat can offer an ultraviolet protection factor of at least 5.
Most clothing also has a protection factor of about 5, but you can increase that number by washing clothes in products like Rit Sunguard.
"Washing your laundry with that material increases the SPF of your clothing to about 30," Dr. Merola points out.
Lips are another spot people forget to protect, especially the lower lip.
Dermatologists say petroleum-based sunscreen chapsticks tend to stay on longest.
They're several sunscreen options that can help you last longer without getting burned.
Click here for more information on Sunscreen: How To Select, Apply, and Use It Correctly.
