Summer is a great time to have fun outdoors.
It's also a time to take precautions to avoid sunburns, which can increase your risk of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved with developing skin cancer. During the summer months, UV radiation tends to be greater.

To help prevent skin cancer while still having fun outdoors, regularly use sun protective practices such as

• Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
• Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
• Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
• Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.

It's always wise to choose more than one way to cover up when you're in the sun. Use sunscreen, and put on a T-shirt... Seek shade, and grab your sunglasses... Wear a hat, but rub on sunscreen too. Combining these sun protective actions helps protect your skin from the sun's damaging UV rays.

Additional Resources:

• CDC information on skin cancer
• Sunburn tips
• Questions and Answers on Skin Cancer Prevention from the CDC