Five Ways To Avoid Sunburn

Spending time in the sun can be a good thing, as a tan makes the body look polished and healthy. With sun tanning, it's easy to get too much of a good thing. Human skin can burn very easily, leading to painful sunburns or even dangerous skin cancers such as melanoma. What can you do to walk that fine line between tan and burn, and still enjoy your time outdoors?

Don't go outside at midday.

The best thing you can do is to plan accordingly to avoid sun exposure during the peak hours of the day, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. This is when the sun is at its strongest, and could mean burning in 15 minutes or less.

Short and sweet

If you have to be outside, keep it short. Try to limit your time in direct sunlight to short, 10 to 15-minute bursts, rather than staying in the sun for hours on end.

Don't try to "make up for being inside."

American culture has become such that having a tan looks healthy, so many Americans try to compensate for being busy and constantly stuck inside by spending one extended day lounging in the sun. This tanning method will cause more damage to the body than spending a short amount of time each day. The body can't process the overload of positive vitamins that sunlight exposure gives, and the skin is still subjected to all the bad stuff.

Cover up!

During the summer months, wear a hat, preferably one with a wide-enough brim to cover your face and neck. During the winter, wear plenty of loose-fitting clothes as well as a jacket and a hat that covers your neck and ears.

Sunscreen!

Find good sunscreens that can be used to block the sun's harmful UV radiation. Those containing zinc or titanium oxide naturally block UV rays, preventing them from being absorbed by the skin. A separate suncream for the face that contains moisturizer is better than using the same one as the one on your arms and legs. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommend a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. 

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Image: Sunlight shining through the clouds in Dunstanburgh, Northumberland, UK. (Wikimedia)