About Today: Why Sun Safety Month Is Still Important

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Today Yes, the sun is a wonderful, awe-inspiring entity and the main reason any of us exist, which is why it's awfully easy to forget this important fact: the sun is bad for you. Somewhere along the line, we humans became pretty much incapable of spending an extended period of time under our own planet's sun, but this is something we have trouble remembering. The sun is responsible for 90% of skin cancers, 90% of premature skin aging, and many more maladies, so this spring, there are a few things we need to ask ourselves: What Are the Real Risks of Sun Damage? Think it's not as bad as all that? The sun can cause blistering, second-degree burns The sun causes skin cells to break down, interferes with DNA repair, and even inhibits the immune system On top of that, prolonged sun exposure can cause heat stroke, vomiting, and cramps Search Related Topics:  skin cancer  wrinkles  aging skin How Long Can I Stay in the Sun? It's true that need some sun for our health. The vitamin D the sun provides can keep our bones healthy and help with weight loss It's even been shown to improve our overall happiness But we don't need more than 15 minutes of sun exposure at a time Search Related Topics:  preventing skin cancer  tanning  sun safety What Do I Do If I Got Burnt? Sunburn is never truly unavoidable, but it does happen, even to people with naturally dark skin. Cool showers, aloe vera, and painkillers are the standard remedy But a vinegar mixture can also be an effective treatment If a child is burnt, make sure to avoid things that may aggravate the burn, such as hot baths or showers and be extra careful to not expose him or her to more sun Search Related Topics:  sunburn  sun protection  sunscreen How Do I Cover All My Bases? As the Boy Scouts say, "Always be prepared." This handy video does a great job of breaking down sunscreen's best practices But make sure your sunscreen has a high SPF and hasn't expired on your shelf These 6 lip balms have a high SPF Use a nice pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes (polarized lenses do a better job of reducing glare) Clothing actually does a better job of protecting skin than sunscreen, so keep something long-sleeved handy (Don't worry, it's easy to remove suncreen stains) And top it off (literally) with a good hat! Search Related Topics:  preventing skin cancer  tanning  sun safety Related Searches Safety Clothing HSE Health Safety Safety Job Safety Glass Safety Showers Featured Articles Follow About.com/Health on Twitter Like About.com/Health on Facebook and Follow Us on Pinterest! Sorry, tanning beds aren't safe either Why sun protection is harder with acne And don't forget sun protection when you're skiing   More from About.com Sign-up for Shareables! An every-morning rundown of the day in history, headlines and trends produced by your pals at About.com. Please sign up it's free (of course), we think you will like it! Want More From About.com Check out our social page tailored to your interest!   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Today newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2014 About.com     Follow us on: Advertisement