With summer on the way, it is important to be sure you are prepared for the increased sun exposure we will all be having. Sunburn can cause serious problems for you in the future, so doing all you can to prevent it is essential. The points below will help you to avoid sunburn.

1. If possible, stay out of the sun during peak hours. These are between 10am and 3pm during the summer season. It is best to stay indoors so you are out of the sun completely.
2. Stay covered up. Long-sleeved shirts work well, and wearing cotton will allow your skin to breathe. Floppy hats and large umbrellas will protect your scalp and face. Some sports stores even sell clothing with inbuilt sun protection.
3. Use sun cream on any exposed skin. It is recommended that you wear SPF 45 or higher as this allows a couple of hours in the sun before you need to reapply it. If you cannot find any sun sticks especially for your lips, Vaseline works well. If you go in the water, you will need to reapply your sun cream as soon as you get out as it will have washed off. Be sure to apply the cream to all areas of exposed skin. Often the backs of knees, back of the neck, elbows, and the backs of ears are forgotten. Also make sure you thoroughly apply it to your feet if you are going to wear sandals, flip-slops, or going bare-foot. Make sure you apply your sun cream at least half an hour before going in the sun so that it can be most effective.
4. Put a small amount of oil or sun cream in your hair so that your scalp does not burn. If you are not comfortable doing this, make sure you wear a hat. Also remember to wear large sunglasses to protect the skin around your eyes from burning.
5. Just because it’s cloudy, it does not mean you are protected from the sun. UV rays can penetrate the clouds and burn you, so wear sun cream then as well.
6. Don’t purposefully lie in the sun trying to get a tan. This will just damage your skin and you are likely to get burnt the first few times you do it in the season before you figure out how long you can lie there without burning. The best way to get a tan without causing yourself too much damage is to go out in the sun for short periods of time so that the tan builds up gradually.
7. At the same time, do not avoid the sun completely. If you have no exposure at all then you can develop a vitamin D deficiency, so it is beneficial to spend a short amount of time each day in the sun without wearing sun cream.
8. You can sometimes find that you apply sun cream but your nose or shoulders still burn slightly after being outdoors for a day. This is because perspiration dilutes the sun cream, reducing its protection. To avoid this, apply the sun cream more often and moisturise those areas so that they do not become dried out by the sun.
9. If you are unfortunate enough to get burnt, buy some Aloe Vera to put on it. It is soothing and is suitable for even sensitive skin. It will absorb into your skin on its own, so there is no need to rub it in. Vinegar is also good to put on as it stops the sun burn from stinging. Applying lots of moisturiser to the burnt areas can also help the skin heal more quickly and help to prevent long-term damage such as premature wrinkling.
10. Remember, the sun not only causes sun burn, but it can also cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Make sure you stay hydrated all day.
11. Tanning salons are also dangerous. They promote the fact that they offer a more controlled form of exposure and limit the more dangerous UVB rays, but you are still being exposed to UVA rays. They can still damage the skin and cause sun burn.

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