How to Protect Yourself from Skin Cancer | Swinyer Woseth Dermatology

Beautiful Women taking sun light

While you may practice good skin care to maintain a youthful appearance, protecting your skin is also essential for preventing skin cancer. Use the following tips to help reduce your risk of skin cancer:

Wear Sunscreen

While getting a healthy amount of sunlight is important for your body, too much sun exposure can be dangerous. Avoiding sunburn is essential for protecting your skin from cancer, so be sure to always wear sunscreen while spending time outdoors, and to reapply as needed. It’s important to realize that, even during the cooler seasons and on cloudy days, it’s possible to get sunburned. To effectively protect your skin, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, and that has an SPF of at least 15. Apply one ounce of your sunscreen half an hour before going outside, and reapply after sweating, swimming, or every two hours.

Cover Up

Applying sunscreen is a vital step for protecting your skin from too much sun exposure, but choosing the right clothing is also essential. When you’re planning to be in the sun, wear clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible and bring along a hat that shades your face, ears, and neck. Also, wear sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays to protect both your eyes and the delicate skin that surrounds them. Finally, stay in the shade when you are able, and avoid being in the sun between 10 AM and 4 PM.

Stay Vigilant

To catch any early signs of cancer, check your skin from head to toe once per month. Some warning signs to watch for are moles that are new, have an irregular shape, are larger than one-fourth of an inch, change in shape, have a blotchy color, or have blurred borders. Additionally, visit your dermatologist once per year to receive a professional skin cancer screening.

If you’re looking for skilled and experienced dermatologists in Salt Lake City, then contact Swinyer-Woseth Dermatology today at 801-266-8841. Our team of specialists offers many skin care treatments to help keep your skin healthy and beautiful.