We have been seeing sunburns already this year.  The most common thing I hear people say is, "I didn't realize the sun was that hot," or, "It was cloudy and I didn't think I would get burnt."  Even on cloudy or overcast days, we can get burnt.  The worst burns I see are on those days when we think we can't get burnt. The sun is very powerful - we cannot underestimate what it can do to our skin. The damaging effects from the sun happen by the time we are 18. Then it manifests itself in our 40's and up.  We see more and more skin cancer these days.  We need to respect the sun's power.  Just like anything else, in moderation is good for us. The way we moderate the affects of the sun is by using sunscreen.  Fair-skinned people need to use a higher level of sunscreen than darker-skinned people.  No matter how dark complected you are, you still need to protect your skin...just at a lower level of protection.  When applying sunscreen, make sure you don't forget your face, nose, ears, cheeks and tops of the shoulders. We have a tendency to forget these places, and this is where I see the most skin damage.   If you are swimming, don't forget to reapply sunscreen after coming out of the water. Even waterproof sunscreen washes off in the water.

Overexposure to the sun will cause skin cancer, dark spots, and wrinkles.  None of us want to deal with this later in life. Protecting our skin is a must.   Our skin is the largest organ of our body - we only have one.  We really need to protect it. 

The use of sunglasses and hats are additional ways of protecting our skin.

Have a great summer.  Take care of yourself now or you will be forced to do it later.