You wear sunscreen when you go to the beach. You avoid sitting out in the sun for prolonged periods of time. And you make it a point to hang out in the shade when you’re outside in the middle of the day.
As long as you’re doing these things, you might be under the impression that you’re doing everything in your power to steer clear of the harmful effects of UV rays. But in reality, there is so much more that you could be doing to stop UV rays from taking a toll on your skin.
In recent years, skin cancer has turned into the most common type of cancer in the country. About 20% of Americans will develop it at least once during their lives, and many of them end up with it because they don’t take UV safety seriously enough.
Want to make sure you’re taking the right steps to protect your skin from UV rays?
Here are some additional tips on how to protect yourself from the sun
Apply Sunscreen Every Day
Most people apply sunscreen when they know that they’re going to be spending time at the beach, at a water park, or in another place where their skin will be exposed to the sun. But what people don’t always realize is that they should wear sunscreen every day, even when it’s the middle of the winter.
Any time the sun shines on your skin, it’s going to open it up to the harmful effects of UV rays. It doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of July or the middle of January.
With this in mind, you should get into your habit of applying sunscreen every day if you can. It’ll stop UV rays in their tracks and keep your skin protected all year long.
Put on Clothes That Shield Your Skin Whenever Possible
It’s probably not going to be all that practical to walk around in a sweatsuit when it’s 90 degrees outside. It’s not going to make sense for you to go to that extreme to keep your skin covered up.
But when possible, you should always cover up as much of your skin as you can when you step outside and spend any amount of time in the sun. You can use your clothing to block the different types of UV radiation that your skin will be exposed to when you’re in the sun.
It’s a good idea to cover yourself up from head to toe to stop UV rays from wreaking havoc on your skin. You should also take the same approach to covering your kids up if you happen to have any.
Use Hats to Cover Up Your Head
Your head is going to be especially susceptible to the sun and the harmful effects of UV rays. The top of your head, your nose, your ears, your neck, and, of course, your face are all going to get sunburned easily if you’re not careful.
A simple wide-brimmed hat can ease all your troubles and stop the sun from shining right on your head. It’s always smart to bring a hat along anytime you’re going to be out in the sun, just in case you aren’t able to sneak away and find shade somewhere.
Wear Sunglasses to Provide Your Eyes With Protection
A nice pair of sunglasses will make you look stylish in the summertime. But they’ll also go a step further than that.
Sunglasses can be used to stop UV rays from shining into your eyes all day long. This can help you sidestep a variety of different eye problems that can come along with UV light exposure.
Those who overexpose their eyes to UV rays are often forced to deal with conditions like:
- Macular degeneration
- Cataracts
- Pterygium
There are even some instances in which UV rays can cause a person to go blind to some degree. It’s why it’s so important for you to wear sunglasses that prevent UV rays from getting to your eyes.
Tint the Windows on Your Car
You might not necessarily notice it when you’re driving around in your car. But the whole time you’re sitting in it, you’re going to be exposing your skin to the sun’s UV rays.
One easy way to get around this is to make sure a car has tinted windows when you buy it or to tint the windows on your car yourself. As long as you go with a dark enough tint, it will block the UV rays and stop them from ever getting inside your car.
Outside of protecting your skin, it’ll also protect your upholstery and everything else on the interior of your car.
Take Advantage of Residential Window Tinting Services
Your car isn’t the only place where you might inadvertently expose your skin to the harmful effects of UV rays without noticing it right away. The same thing can happen when you’re sitting inside your home.
If you have windows that allow a lot of sunlight to enter your home, that sunlight will also bring UV rays with it. The UV rays can cause everything from your carpeting to your furniture to fade over time. They can also do damage to your skin if you let them.
You should think about utilizing window tinting services to keep UV rays out of your home once and for all. Find out more about how easy it is to do it today.
Don’t Let the Harmful Effects of UV Rays Affect Your Skin
Every single day, almost 10,000 Americans discover that they’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer. These people find out about the harmful effects of UV rays first-hand, and many of them regret not being more proactive about protecting their skin.
If you want to avoid finding yourself in this scenario, you should take action today and stop the sun’s UV rays from having an impact on you. Make sure your skin is protected by working your way through the steps listed here.
Check out our blog for more informative articles on keeping yourself healthy.