Sun is shining

2 minute read time.

Hooray! It finally feels as if summer is inching its way closer! Ok, so it’s not great today (just got soaked on my lunch break!) but week by week, those “sunny spells” are increasing. I even went to my first barbeque of the year this weekend – thanks to my fellow Macmillan Editor Debbie :)

Photo of two people sitting at a bench under an umbrella in the sun

Sunshine is great – it puts a smile on your face, warms you up, and makes any old street look ten times nicer! But let’s remember, the sun is also a powerful force, emitting radiation (including UV rays) and burning our skin even from 93million miles away. So it’s important to enjoy the sun safely. If you’ve had cancer treatments in the past, you may need to be especially careful.

How to stay safe in the sun

  • Protect your face and neck with a wide-brimmed hat
  • Wear sunglasses (with a guaranteed UV light filter)
  • Use a suncream with a high sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30
  • Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
  • Use fake tanning lotions or sprays, not sunbeds

Dangers of overexposure

Skin cancer

Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. The UV rays damage the DNA in your skin cells. This can cause cells to become abnormal and develop into cancer. Skin cancer (including melanoma) affects over 115,000 people every year in the UK. A sun ‘tan’ is the visible result of your skin becoming damaged.

Other risks

It’s not just skin cancer that too much sun can cause. It can also lead to eye problems such as cataracts, and worsen the ageing of your skin, causing more wrinkles and brown spots.

Can the sunshine be good for you?

In small amounts, sunshine is good for us and helps us stay healthy. It helps our bodies 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 sunlight by going outside regularly, without sunscreen on, for a few minutes during the middle of the day.

If you’ve had cancer treatment in the past

Some cancer treatments can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so it’s important to protect your skin during and after treatment. This may be a temporary or permanent side effect. We have more information about this.

Next steps

There are two simple things you can do now to help yourself and others:

  Remember how to stay safe in the sun

  Share this blog with others to protect them from the dangers too.

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Keep in touch Follow Macmillan’s cancer information team on Twitter @mac_cancerinfo

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