Protect your skin

Keep your skin safe this summer with these tips

While you’re having fun in the sun this summer, make sure protecting your skin is a top priority. Taking simple preventive steps can help keep your skin healthy and reduce your risk of skin cancer. Here are some tips to protect your skin from sun damage:

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher
• Shield your eyes with sunglasses
• Stay in the shade when you can
• Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when it's the most intense

Tips from Sharecare on applying sunscreen

You should apply sunscreen to your face and body about 15 minutes before going out in the sun. Make sure the sunscreen is completely absorbed, and reapply it every two hours, or right after swimming or sweating to make sure you stay protected. 

Here are some important spots to protect with sunscreen:

Your back: The back is a common area for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, this is especially true for men. Make sure to get an even layer of sunscreen on your back.

Your face: According to a 2016 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), 30% of people don’t put sunscreen on their face. The most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinomas, often appears on the face, so make sure to apply a generous amount of sunscreen.

Your ears and scalp: These are at high-risk for non-melanoma skin cancers. Make sure to apply sunscreen to these sensitive areas and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Your legs and feet: These areas are one of the most common spots for melanoma in women. Remember to get your ankles, the tops of your feet and your knees – front and back.

Your forearms and hands: The forearm is another frequent site of melanoma in women. Don’t forget your hands!

Your lips: Protect your lips from common forms of skin cancer by putting on a lip gloss or lip balm with SPF 30 or higher.

The edges of clothing: One place you may forget to put sunscreen is at the edge of your swimsuit or around straps. When you’re applying sunscreen, move straps to the side to make sure you are getting even coverage.

Want healthy tips? Download Sharecare

Blue Cross of Idaho members have access to Sharecare, an app to help you eat better, lower your stress levels and be more active! To get the app, visit bcidaho.sharecare.com to create your Sharecare account, download the app and take the RealAge® Test. Do not download the Sharecare app directly from the App Store or Google Play.

 

Disclaimer: This wellness program is administered by Sharecare, Inc., an independent company that provides health improvement management services to Blue Cross of Idaho members. Sharecare, Inc., does not provide Blue Cross of Idaho products or services and is solely responsible for the health improvement management services it provides.

 

Source: Sharecare

Posted: July 6, 2022