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You spend more time outdoors once summer hits, maybe at the pool, out in the yard, or chasing the kids around the park. The warmth feels wonderful. Your skin, though, pays a quiet price for all those extra hours in the sun. That is why July is UV Safety Month, a good reminder to look after your skin now so it stays healthy down the road.
Why UV Safety Matters
Sunlight carries invisible UV rays, and soaking up too many of them is what drives most skin cancers. They come from the sun itself, plus tanning beds and sunlamps, and they slowly wear down your skin cells. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and the American Academy of Dermatology puts the lifetime risk at 1 in 5 Americans. That number is a big reason UV Safety Month exists in the first place.
UV rays slip through clouds, linger on cool days, and bounce off water, sand, cement, and snow. Anyone can be affected, whatever their age or skin tone, so year-round habits pay off.
Here is the encouraging part. When the most serious kind of skin cancer is caught before it spreads, survival rates are near 99 percent. Knowing how to prevent skin cancer and watching for changes early go a long way.
Tips for UV Safety
The whole point of UV Safety Month is turning a few simple steps into second nature. Seek shade when you can, especially in the middle of the day when the sun is strongest. Cover up with long sleeves, pants, and tightly woven fabrics when it makes sense.
Reach for a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and put it on before you head outside. Reapply at least every two hours, or sooner if you have been swimming or sweating. Use about one ounce, roughly the amount that fills a shot glass, to cover your body. Do not forget the spots that are easy to miss, like your ears, nose, lips, the back of your neck, your hands, the tops of your feet, and a thinning hairline or scalp.
Try to limit time in the sun during peak hours, generally 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and skip tanning beds and sunlamps altogether.
When to Get a Skin Cancer Screening
UV Safety Month is also a good prompt to check in on your skin. Looking yourself over at home is one of the best ways to catch problems early. Once a month, go from head to toe, and ask a partner or family member to check the areas you cannot see well, like your back and scalp.
You should have a doctor look at a spot if you notice a new or growing bump, a sore that bleeds or will not heal, a rough red patch, or a mole that changes in size, shape, or color. Anything that itches, bleeds, or simply looks different from everything around it deserves a second look.
Skin cancer screening with a doctor is especially worth scheduling if you have had skin cancer before, have many moles, spend a lot of time in the sun, or have a family history of it. Your provider can help you decide how often you should be checked based on your personal risk. Visits like these fit alongside the other preventive screenings that help you stay healthy as you get older.
Schedule Your Skin Cancer Screening Today
Protecting your skin is one of the easiest ways to invest in your long-term health, and you do not have to do it alone.
Make this UV Safety Month the one where you finally book that visit. Schedule your skin cancer screening today. If you are a member, call our Customer Service team at 1-888-JAI-1999 (1-888-524-1999) or reach out to us to find a provider near you.