Enjoying the Sun? Your Skin Might Not Be

Hey, have you heard? It’s blisteringly hot outside! 

During the dog days of summer, it’s important to stay hydrated, especially when competing in sporting events.

It’s also important to make sure you’re protected from harmful UV rays. Just ask Christie Rampone, a captain on the U.S. women’s national soccer team, which last Sunday lost to Japan in the Women’s World Cup final.

Rampone has made sun protection a personal mission as a member of Team SCF, a group of professional athletes working to raise awareness about skin cancer through the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Rampone, who has won two Olympic gold medals in soccer with the U.S. team, warns that it’s not only the hot and sunny days that are dangerous.

 “The worst days aren’t the ones that are that hot and sunny,” Rampone said in a press release. “It’s the overcast days (up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate clouds) when you’re not thinking about the sun – then you really get burned.”

Rampone and the Skin Cancer Foundation offer the following tips to protect those who are active and outdoors a lot from the sun’s rays:

• Seek the shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Schedule training, practices and games for the early morning or late afternoon. If you must be outdoors during peak sun hours, look for shaded areas, which not only offer relief from the heat but significant sun protection for exposed skin.
• Do not burn. A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns at any age.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with tightly woven or knit, bright- or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense. The more skin you cover, the better, so choose long sleeves and long pants whenever possible.
• For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside.
• Sunscreen running into the eyes is a perennial concern (and an occasional excuse for not wearing any), but the pros have ways of dealing with this: Rampone applies Vaseline to her eyebrows, since it keeps sunscreen on her forehead from migrating into her eyes.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating. Be careful to cover often-missed exposed spots such as the hands and the back of the neck.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) and Naproxen (Aleve) make you extra-sensitive to the sun. If you use such medications for your aches and pains, be vigilant about protecting your skin.

For more information on Team SCF and Christie Rampone's relationship with The Skin Cancer Foundation, visit  http://www.skincancer.org/Team-SCF/