How to Effectively Protect Your Skin in the Summer

You’ve probably heard a thousand times why it’s so important to protect your skin from the sun. It’s not just a mother’s mantra, but solid medical advice to prevent you from prematurely developing the signs of aging or even worse—dreaded skin cancer. Here’s a closer look at what steps you can take to ward off these risks and keep your skin fresh and healthy throughout the years.

The Risks of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and affects one in five Americans over their lifetime. Melanoma is the deadliest of the skin cancers, and estimates show that it will be responsible for over 9,000 deaths in the United States this year alone—that’s more than one death an hour. It takes just five sunburns over the course of your lifetime to double your chances of getting melanoma, which means all that fun in the sun you had in your youth could come back to haunt you. But now that you know the risks, what can you do to protect yourself from this deadly disease going forward?

Stay Covered Up with Clothing

Clothing is the most effective way to keep the threat of UV radiation in check. Shielding your skin with protective attire is your number one defense against the threat of skin cancer. It’s important to wear long sleeve shirts and pants whenever you can. And don’t forget the wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

Always Apply Sunscreen

But it’s not always practical to keep your skin under wraps at every moment. After all, who wants to be bundled up at the beach? With the summer heat upon us, wearing fewer layers feels better. In this case, it’s important that you apply a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen of at least SPF 15. If you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, be sure to use one that’s SPF 30 or higher and water-resistant, and reapply it every two hours. Remember, this is just a starting point, as sunscreens have gotten much more powerful over the past few years. Many skin defenders now offer SPF protection over 100 for both adults and kids, so it’s easy to keep your skin safe from the sun’s harmful rays.

Reverse Past Damage

If you do find that years of prior sun damage has started to show, don’t worry—there’s something you can do about it. You can wipe away built-up damage to reveal a layer of fresh, glowing skin underneath with laser skin resurfacing. We have a range of laser treatments available including our IPL and ClearLift lasers with minimal or no downtime, to our more aggressive Pixel CO2 that takes advantage of fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing to reverse past sun damage. A more aggressive treatment, Pixel CO2 takes advantage of fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing to reverse past sun damage.

Treatments with microneedling or microdermabrasion can revitalize an aging dermis by stimulating the body’s natural healing factors. Chemical peels and facials can work wonders on your face and can be combined with many of the other rejuvenation therapies available. We also offer a wide range of skincare products so you can give your skin all of the crucial vitamins and minerals it needs every single day.

Save Your Skin This Summer in Boise

Protecting yourself from damaging UV radiation this summer will save you down the road. If you have any questions or concerns about the health of your skin, please don’t hesitate to contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation. Dr. Kramer and his experienced team are ready to help their Boise area patients keep their skin safe and healthy this summer and beyond.