Protect your skin from UV damage

Prevention is better than cure. To protect your skin from UV damage that can lead to skin cancer follow the four tips of the SunSmart Code:

1. Cover Up

Slip on some clothes

One of the simplest things you can do to protect your skin from UV rays is to cover it with clothes.

• Wear a shirt with a collar and sleeves
• Wear long shorts
• Choose clothes made of a close weave material that does not allow sun light through.  If sunlight does not pass through the fabric neither will UV rays.

Slap on a hat

Make sure it gives shade to the face, neck and ears. A baseball hat is not ideal as it does not give enough shade. Good examples are a bucket or legionnaire style hat.

Make sure to pack a bucket or legionnaire hat - it's a lifesaver!

2. Get some shade

When in Ireland UV rays are at their strongest between 11am and 3pm. 

Plan your day so that you know you will be able to go into the shade, especially between those times. This may mean using natural shade or bring something with you, such as a big umbrella, to meet that need. 

3. Wear wrap-around sunglasses

The eyes can be damaged by UV rays and this damage can lead to a number of problems including cancer. For this reason it is important to protect your eyes from UV rays. This applies to children as well as adults. A few things to keep in mind about the sunglasses you choose:

• Go for wrap-around

Because UV rays tend to bounce around the sky as they hit water particles and dust in the air it is a good idea to choose wrap-around glasses. This helps protect your eyes from UV rays that come from the side.

• Make sure they give UV protection

Make sure the sunglasses you choose give 100% UV protection. You will see a label or sticker on the glasses with this information.

4. Wear sunscreen

Using sunscreen alone will not give enough protection against UV radiation. It is important to use all elements of the SunSmart code to protect your skin when outdoors.

• Use water resistant sunscreen, especially if swimming or at water sports
• When buying sunscreen make sure it have SPF of 15 or higher and UVA protection. Make sure to check the bottle for the UVA logo (below)

Getting the most from your sunscreen

Put sunscreen on dry skin 20 minutes before going outside.

• For the average adult you will need to apply more than half a teaspoon (about 3mls) of sunscreen to each arm and the face/neck/ears. (That's at least a teaspoon and a half for your face, neck, ears and arms alone.) 
• Apply one teaspoon (about 6mls) to each leg, the front of the body and the back of the body.
• That means you use about 35mls of sunscreen for one application to the whole body

Reapply!

• Make sure to reapply sunscreen every two hours
• Reapply more often if you're sweating, swimming or towel drying
• Remember, those parts of the body that are not usually exposed to the sun will tend to burn more easily
• Be sure to take extra care of your ears, neck, bald patch, hands and feet

Find out how SunSmart you need to be today - go to the UV Index for the latest UV information from around Ireland.

Protecting children from UV damage

While skin cancer is rare in children it is the most common cancer in 15-44yr olds in this country. Children and young people’s skin is more sensitive to UV damage and they tend to spend more time outdoors than adults.

Find out how to keep your babies and older children safe in the sun