Everyone waits all year for summertime in Chicago! We hope all of our patients enjoy the warmer weather safely with these four tips to protect your skin this July, which is UV Safety Month:
- For your skin, ALWAYS wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher on any exposed skin, reapplying every 2 hours. If you’re swimming or sweating, use a waterproof sunscreen. Limit peak sun exposure from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM if possible or seek shade when out during those times. This is when the sun’s UV rays are the highest!
- You can also wear UPF clothing such as MOTT50 or COOLIBAR. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and indicates what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate fabric. A shirt with a UPF of 50, allows just 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to reach the skin. This helps reduce the amount of exposed skin and less sunblock coverage needed where the UPF clothing covers.
- Sunglasses with UV protection and wide-brimmed hats are also recommended to fully protect yourself from harmful UV rays. Read more tips from Dr. Omer Ibrahim’s interview with the AAD of what to wear to protect your skin from the sun!
- Don’t forget to also schedule your annual full body skin exam with a CCSD provider and also perform regular skin self-exams while looking out for the ABCDEs of skin cancer. When detected early, skin cancer can be highly treatable! Call or text our office at 312-245-9965 opt. 2 to schedule a full body skin check and stock up on your summer stash of sunscreen on our skincare website chicagoskinscience.com! (Don’t forget you’ll receive a complimentary beach tote with a purchase of 3 EltaMD products purchased in July while supplies last!)