No matter what your age, protecting your skin from sun damage will keep it healthier and better-looking.
Whether young or not-so-young, and even if you already have wrinkles, exposure to the sun will cause damage, or further damage, and increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
- Doctors at the Mayo Clinic recommend applying sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher at least once a day to areas that are exposed to sunlight.
- Wear clothing to block sunlight and wear a broad-brimmed hat whenever you can. Try to avoid being in the sun from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and try to stay in the shade when you are outside for more than a few minutes.
- Bathe with warm water, not hot water, which can deplete natural oils from your skin. Use a mild, fatted or glycerin soap and only use soap on your face, underarms, genital area, hands and feet.
- Moisturize. After a bath, pat your skin dry and immediately apply a moisturizing lotion to trap moisture in your skin. For very dry skin, a product in which petrolatum is one of the top three ingredients is advised. Products containing glycerin, lactic acid or urea provide an extra boost.
- Drink enough water. Being well hydrated moisturizes your skin from the inside out.
- Skin cancer update
In spite of all advice about prevention of skin cancer, about 1 million cases are diagnosed annually. Of those, the American Cancer Society projects 60,000 cases of melanoma this year, which will cause 8,100 deaths.
Dermatologists are seeing more melanoma among women 20 to 29 years old who used tanning beds.