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Summer — a time for sunshine, exercise, water sports, picnics, and other outdoor activities! But it's also a time for skin cancer, cataracts, and skin that shrivels and spots before its time.
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More than a million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year — including malignant melanoma (a very lethal form of skin cancer), squamous cell carcinoma (much less fatal), and basal cell carcinoma (disfiguring but not fatal).
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Premature aging of the skin from sun exposure (photoaging) includes fine wrinkles, freckles, capillary dilation, and loss of elasticity.
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Photoaging of the skin occurs before age 30, while normal, chronological skin aging doesn't begin until after 40.
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Cataracts — a leading cause of blindness — can also be caused from too much exposure to the sun's harmful rays.
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Stay out of the sun during peak hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).
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Always wear a wide-brimmed hat that covers both face and eyes when you're in the sun -- even on an overcast day.
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Wear sunglasses when you're outside in the bright light.
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Use sunscreens with SPF of 15 or greater. Apply them at least every two hours to all exposed areas of the body, including face and lips — even when it is cloudy.
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Make it a regular part of your daily skincare routine to use face and body moisturizers, make-up, and lipstick that have SPF 15 or higher.
For more information about sun hazards, ask your pharmacists!
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