Everyone loves soaking in the warm rays of the sun. In fact, your body needs a little bit of sun to create Vitamin D. But most of us stay out just a bit too long in our hot Florida sun.
July 3 is National Stay Out of the Sun Day, so what better time to look at some good resources to learn about sun safety!
The top tips:
- Wear sunscreen and reapply as time passes.
- Wear sunglasses and cover up with a hat or shirt.
- Don't forget your lips. Pop on a balm with SPF 15
- Find a shady spot during the strongest sun hours of the day (generally between 10 am - 4 pm).
Why worry about sun safety:
- Skin cancer and cataracts are serious consequences of too much ultraviolet (UV) light.
- Excess sun can damage your skin leading to wrinkles and aging.
- Sunburns, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are no fun. Learn the difference from the CDC's Warning Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness
Other resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Sun Safety The CDC offers a brief explaination of how sunscreen works and provides sun safety tips that will help prevent skin cancer.
Nemours: Sun Safety for Parents: Information for parents to help protect their children and tips on treating sunburns.
MedlinePlus: Skin Cancer: Learn about the most common types of skin cancer, risk factors, and treatments.
Mayo Clinic: Heatstroke: The Mayo Clinic defines the symptoms of heatstroke. They also offer a guide on the more common Heat Exhaustion.
The only extra sun we recommend is the library's collection of the Gainesville Sun online. The collection offers a text-only version of the newspaper from 1995-present as well as an image version that started January 1, 2019.