Tips to remember to keep fun in the sun safe

It's fun to be out in the sun. But the sun can be dangerous to skin. Summertime, when there is more outdoor activity, is also when the sun's rays are most intense. And that can be a problem when sun lovers don't apply or reapply sunscreen while enjoying the outdoors.

Skin cancer affects more people in the United States than any other type of cancer. It is important to understand the risks associated with too much exposure to the sun and to know how to protect oneself from the sun's ultraviolet rays. While skin cancer is the most dangerous effect that the sun can have on the body, too much sun exposure can also cause eye problems, unsightly skin spots, wrinkles, "leathery" skin and less ability to fight disease.

Children are also at a higher risk because they do not understand the health risks associated with sun exposure and the importance of protecting themselves. Children spend so much time outdoors that the majority of lifetime sun exposure is experienced by the age of 18. Use of a sunscreen throughout childhood and adolescence will greatly reduce the risk of later development of skin cancer. One serious sunburn that blisters can increase the risk of skin cancer by as much as 50 percent. Damage to the skin caused by the sun is cumulative. That's why most skin cancers show up in older adults.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers these seven steps for safer sunning:

1. Stay in the shade. Avoid the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is when sun rays are strongest. Don't be fooled by cloudy skies. Harmful rays pass through clouds.

2. Use sunscreen products which have an SPF number of 15 or more. "SPF" stands for Sun Protection Factor. A higher number means it protects longer. Look for a product that says "broad spectrum," meaning it protects against the two types of harmful rays. "Water resistant" means the product will stay on the skin longer, even when wet.

Protect babies under six months old from sun exposure, but do not use sunscreen. Their skin is not yet protected by melanin pigmentation. On children older than 6 months, use a sunscreen every time they go out.

3. Wear a hat with a wide brim that shades the neck, ears, eyes, and head.

4. Wear sunglasses. Buy ones with a label saying they block 99 to 100 percent of the sun's rays.

5. Cover up. Wear loose, lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long pants or long skirts when in the sun. Tightly woven fabrics of medium weight give the best protection. White or light colors will reflect more of the sun's rays. A pair of jeans has a SPF of 1500. A wet t-shirt has a SPF of only about two. This is especially important for children at the swimming pool or someone working outside where they sweat. Once the t-shirt becomes wet, it provides almost no protection from the sun's harmful rays.

6. Avoid artificial tanning methods, including sunlamps and tanning beds, as well as tanning pills and tanning makeup. Tanning pills have a color additive that turns the skin orange. The FDA has approved the color additive for coloring foods but not for skin tanning. The large amount of color additive in tanning pills may be harmful.

7. Check skin regularly for signs of skin cancer. Look for changes in the size, shape, color or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. If a change is found or a sore does not heal, see a doctor.

People should perform thorough self-exams each month that include checking the scalp and other hard-to-see places by using a hand- mirror, or asking another person to help.

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Editor's Note: Ann Ludlum is a K-State Family and Consumer Science Research and Extension agent assigned to Bourbon County. She can be reached at (620) 223-3720 or by E-mail at aludlum@oznet.ksu.edu.