In July—UV Safety Awareness Month—UVM Medical Center dermatologist and Cancer Center member Santana VanDyke, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, was featured in a NBC5 story on how to protect yourself from the sun.
Medical experts say that if you don’t take precautions, you can still get a sunburn even when the sky is not totally clear.
“The UV rays that come from the sun can actually directly damage the skin so they can cause direct damage to our skin cells and also cause DNA damage as well,” VanDyke cautions.
- VanDyke recommends avoiding the sun when it is strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Sun-protective clothing, including hats and shirts labeled UPF, can add an extra layer of safety, but she says the most effective tool for sun protection is still sunscreen.
- Broad-spectrum formulas with an SPF of at least 30 should be your go-to option.
VanDyke says while some people are at higher risk of sun damage, everyone should be taking precautions. And while the effects of a sunburn show up right away, the long-term damage may not be seen for years.
“People with fairer skin have less melanin or pigment in their skin, so they’re more prone to sunburns, aging from the sun and skin cancer versus people with more melanin or darker skin or at less risk but still should be protecting their skin as well,” she said.