READY • SET • GO! NO BURNS

READY:

What do you really need to knowabout sunburns?

  • Getting a sunburn is your skin’sreaction to ultraviolet radiation(UVA and UVB).
  • All sunburns cause lastingskin damage and can leadto skin cancer.
  • Sunburns are painful, annoying,and contribute to wrinkles andpremature aging!
  • Just two severe sunburns beforeage 18 may double the risk ofdeveloping melanoma (thedeadliest form of skin cancer)later in life.
  • You should wear sunscreen witha Sun Protection Factor (SPF)of 15 or greater all year round.(The AmericanAcademy ofDermatology recommends it!)
  • Most people get a sunburnwhen they are doing day-to-dayactivities like talking a walk,reading a book outside, orsitting in the park.
  • You can get a sunburn even on acloudy day – as much as 70% ofthe sun’s ultraviolet radiationpasses through the clouds.

SET:

How do you avoid getting asunburn and what can you doif you have one?

  • The sun’s peak hours (whenthe sun is at its strongest) are between 10am and 4pm.Remember to seek shade and limit your time in the sunduring these hours.
  • Protective clothing is key.Wearing a lightweight, longsleeve shirt, pants, sunglasses,and a hat are all ways to keepyour skin cool and burn-free.
  • Sunscreen is a must!Remembering to put on sunscreeneveryday is important forpreventing burns. Also, rememberthat you need to reapply sunscreen,especially if you go swimmingor are sweating.
  • When purchasinga sunscreen, keep inmind that you want one that isbroad spectrum (protects fromboth UVA and UVB), waterproofor sweat-proof, and has an SPFof 15 or more. Also, remember toput sunscreen on easy-to-forgetbut easy-to-burn places like yournose, ears, neck, feet, and hands.

OK, so you have a sunburn.It’s going to be your last one,right? So how do you treat it?Well, here are a few things thepeople at Sun Smart (the skin cancercontrol program of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria,Australia) recommend:

  • Apply a cool, saline-soakedcompress to ease the pain.
  • Drink a lot of water to replenishyour fluid levels. Dehydrationcan occur from too much exposureand can be very dangerous.
  • Moisturize your skin when itfeels comfortable enough todo so. It won’t help preventthe peeling, but will help keepthe new skin below fromdrying out.
  • If your sunburn is very severeand you are experiencingblistering, headaches, nausea,vomiting, dizziness or severepain, seek medical attentionimmediately.

GO!

Avoid painful sunburns:

  • Cover up with protective clothing
  • Wear sunscreen with an SPF of15 or greater on all exposed skin
  • Wear a hat and sunglasses
  • Seek shade or choose indooractivities during peak hours onhot, sunny days
  • Enjoy the outdoors, the greatweather and time with yourfamily and friends whilepracticing sun safety!