I think most of my friends and colleagues in the office today have enjoyed a weekend of walks, parks, tennis and most importantly, sunshine! And who can blame them? It’s rare we get weather this good in the UK!
It took a long time getting here, but it seems summer has finally arrived. And with temperatures expected to stay in the mid- to high-20s over the next ten days, the good news is that for once, the hot weather is here to stay. In this spirit, we thought we’d write a blog about how to stay safe in the sun – after all, tomato faces and red backs are never a good look.
So, here’s the good news. In small amounts, sunshine is good for us and helps us stay healthy. Our bodies use the UVB rays in sunlight to make vitamin D, which is important for bone health and reduces the risk of some illnesses. Not getting enough sun has been linked to vitamin D deficiency. Most people can get enough exposure to UVB rays by going outside regularly, without sunscreen on, for a few minutes during the middle of the day.
But, if you’re soaking up the rays for any longer than this, it’s really important to protect your body from sunburn and damage.
Most skin cancers (including melanoma) are caused by exposure to UV light, which damages the skin cells. UV light is found in natural sunlight and (in much larger proportions) in sunbed and sun lamp light. If you go out in the sun unprotected (without suncream) or use sunbeds or lamps, you’re exposing your skin to high levels of UV light. When skin reddens or burns, it means the skin cells are being damaged.
To reduce your risk of getting a skin cancer, you need to protect your skin from the UV rays. But staying safe in the sun doesn’t necessarily mean keeping in the shade. If you take up a few good habits, you can enjoy the sunshine without putting your health at risk.
There’s more information about how to take care in the sun on our health and lifestyle page.
If you have cancer or have had it before, we have some specific information for you about staying safe in the sun.
If you have any questions or worries about melanoma and skin cancer, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to talk to our cancer support specialists. They are here to talk you through any concerns and answer your questions.
We also have several booklets on melanoma, and a book and audiobook on skin cancer. These resources are all free.
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Keep in touch Follow Macmillan’s cancer information team on Twitter @mac_cancerinfo
