How To Avoid Sunburns

It is a beautiful day on the beach and everything seems just perfect for you to get the tan you have always wanted. You stretch out and get ready to enjoy those glorious, warm rays. Suddenly, you see someone passing by, with red, blotchy skin - sunburn! You lose all interest in getting tanned and scoot into the shade, since you don’t want to suffer from sunburn too. Sunburns are painful and unattractive and can lead to skin cancer too. They occur when your skin is exposed to sunlight for a long time. When a person suffers from sunburn, his/her skin becomes painful, turns red and even gets full of blisters, in extreme cases. At times, there is swelling as well. So, it is essential that you know how to protect yourself from sunburn, especially during the summer months, so as to get the best out of the warm weather. Read on to find out effective tips on how you can avoid sunburns.

Image: By Axelv (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tips On Avoiding Sunburn

Staying out of the harsh sun is the best way to avoid sunburn. The sunrays are most intense and direct between 10 am and 3 pm. If you have to go outdoors, try to schedule the visit outside this time slot. If you need to go out during this time only, cover yourself with long sleeved breathable clothes and use lots of sunscreen.
Don’t lie around in the direct sun seeking a tan. If you do so, you are sure to get sunburn. Be sure to take shelter under a beach umbrella or a tree. However, remember that the sun is reflected by the sand, so take appropriate precaution, especially if you are too sensitive.
Always use a good sunscreen, which offers a minimum SPF of 15 and protection from UVA as well as UVB rays. Apply the sunscreen liberally to all those parts of your body that are or will be exposed to the sun. These parts would include your face, neck, hands, arms, the upper portion of your feet, your toes, and ears. It is best to apply sunscreen around 15 minutes before you step out in the sun. If you are going to be out for the day, keep re-applying it. Even if you use waterproof sunscreen, it will not necessarily hold up the whole day.
Invest in a hat and a good pair of sunglasses. The hat should preferably have a wide brim, so that your face can be protected. As far as the sunglasses are concerned, get a pair that offers complete blockage of UVA and UVB rays. You will be doing your eyes a great favor if you do this.
Be careful of cloudy days. There are times when you might feel that just because the sun is not too hot, the chances of getting sunburn are less. However, this is a misconception. Follow the same guidelines on cloudy days as well, so that you avoid sunburn completely.

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