Sun Protection: Always In Season

Before you head to the pool on a sunny day this summer, what are you always told to do? Apply sunscreen. But what about every other day? It's important to think about protecting your skin from the sun no matter where you're going.

When sunlight hits your skin without sunscreen, cells in the top layer - called the epidermis - sound the alarm to protect your skin. These special cells produce a substance called melanin, which darkens the skin to protect it from the sun. That's how you tan. Eventually the darkened skin cells flake off and new, lighter cells take their place.

But the damage is already done.

"It's basically your body producing this protection because it's already been hurt the first time," says Kalyani Marathe, a children's dermatologist (skin doctor) at Children's National in Washington, D.C.

Two kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight harm your skin. They can cause wrinkling, burns, dark spots and more serious conditions such as skin cancer.

UVB rays usually damage the epidermis. They are the rays that can give you a sunburn. The greatest exposure to UVB rays is during the summer between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the American Cancer Society.

UVA rays go deeper into the skin, causing it to age. They reach your skin year-round and can pass through glass, such as car windows. Even if the sun isn't out, it doesn't mean you're in the clear.

"Seventy percent of UV rays comes through the clouds even on a cloudy day," Marathe says.

The best way to block these rays from reaching your skin is by using broad-spectrum sunscreen, one that protects from UVA and UVB rays. Make sure it has an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or above.

"These numbers just mean it's a multiplier of how long you can be in the sun without getting a sunburn," Marathe says.

So if you would normally burn in 20 minutes with no sunscreen, applying SPF 30 would mean that you would burn in about 10 hours. But that's if you have the recommended amount on at all times. And no sunscreen product blocks 100 percent of UV rays. That's why it is important to add a coat of sunscreen every couple of hours. It can help cover spots you may have missed the first time.

Not everyone's skin reacts the same when it is exposed to the sun. Light-skin people are more likely to burn - or burn more quickly - because their skin cells produce less melanin. When the sun rays hit darker skin, the melanin-producing cells don't have to work as hard to make color for protection. But people with dark skin still need to use sunscreen.

Taking care of your skin should be a habit. Make it easy to remember by leaving a tube of sunscreen next to your toothbrush and an SPF stick in your bag. And make it a group activity. You and friends or teammates can use the sticks to "highlight" your neck, arms, face and legs. Taking care of your skin doesn't have to be a pain. It's just one of those things you should do before you enjoy the outdoors, just like slipping on your shoes.