- Seek the shade between 10AM and 4PM.
- Research and choose safe sunscreens.
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV radiation.
- Remember to reapply safe sunscreen after two hours outside, or immediately after swimming or sweating.
- Perform regular self-examinations to note changes in the skin and aid in the early detection of skin cancer.
- Have moles checked as part of any physical exam, and see the doctor if a mole or spot on your skin has changed.
- Keep newborns out of the sun. Safe sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
- Forget to apply safe sunscreen to those often missed spots like your ears, scalp, under your eyes, lips, the top of your hands, feet, shoulders, neck, behind your knees and especially your back!
- Be fooled by a cloudy day—the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate through clouds and even a thick fog!.
- Forget melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can run in families, so if a close family member has had melanoma, see a dermatologist once a year if you’re 10 or older, or earlier if you have many moles.
- Patronize tanning salons. Tanning salons likely contributed to recent increases of melanoma, since tanning beds expose skin to as much as 15 times the UV radiation of the sun.
- Forget to wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and a hat with a three inch-wide brim all around that can protect your face and neck.