Luís Forra / Lusa
It’s not just sunscreen. Staying safe in the sun is best done as a combination of habits: seeking shade, wearing a hat, covering your body, limiting time in the strong midday sun and correctly applying sunscreen.
Europe has already registered this year unusually high temperatureshigh enough to return to solar safety a pertinent question long before most people packed their bags for their summer vacation.
For many of us, the instinctive reaction to good weather is leave while it lasts. But sudden periods of heat and intense light are also a reminder that sun protection must begin before we were at the beach.
A UV exposure This is not a problem exclusive to holidays abroad or peak summers, he explains Angela Rodriguesprofessor at Northumbria University, in the United Kingdom, in an article in .
UV levels can reach 3 or higher as early as April — this is when many public health bodies advise take sun protection seriouslyespecially in the case of people who burn easily.
In Southern European countries, such as Portugal, in summer UV levels often reach 8, 9 or 10, which is why this is a particularly dangerous time, when the skin is more at risknotes the Portuguese researcher, graduated from the University of Minho.
Staying safe in the sun works best as a combination of habits: seek shade, wear a hat, cover the bodylimit time in the strong midday sun and correctly apply sunscreen.
It’s not just sunscreen
One of the most effective measures you can take is to look forshadow in the middle of the daywhen UV levels are highest — typically between 11am and 3pm.
One wide-brimmed hat, a long-sleeved sweater for the hottest part of the day and sunglasses with UV protection offer considerable protection that sunscreen alone cannot guarantee.
Planning in advance makes everything much simpler. Before leaving, check the UV index of your destination. Most of meteorological applications already includes this information. Then, organize the parts of the day with the greatest exposure based on this index.
Think of sun protection as part of your morning routine: apply the protector before leaving the house, just like brushing your teethand carry a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen in your day bag. It’s also worth taking a light item like a t-shirt or pareo to protect your shoulders and chest.
When to stop for lunchthis is the natural time to reapply the protector. Many people on vacation take a break in the middle of the day anyway.
A lunch in the shade, and even a brief nap During hours of highest UV intensity, it’s not just a nice vacation habit. It is also a good sun safety practice.
When you go out again in the late afternoon, you will have rested, refreshed and reapplied your sunscreen, and you will be making the most of it part of the day with the lowest UV index.
Simple plans like «if… then…» can also help. If the predicted UV index is 3 or higher, then cover up and seek shade. If you go to the beach, reapply the protector as soon as it arrives and again after swimming.
One of the results of a led by Angela Rodrigues is that most people underestimates how quickly skin can burnespecially in strong sunlight. Instead of trying to calculate a safe exposure window, use the UV index as a guide. If it is 3 or higher, cover up and seek shade during the busiest part of the day.
Sunscreen is most effective when applied generously and reapplied regularly, but the guidelines on how much to use may seem inaccurate.
The Portuguese researcher suggests a useful rule of thumb: for the face, neck and ears, try to use about a teaspoon. For full-body application, you need a considerably larger amount than most people use — approximately equivalent to a golf ball.
Sun protection does not mean staying indoors. It means making the sun easier to enjoy: checking the UV index, bringing a hat and sunscreen, seeking shade when UV radiation is more intense, and reapplying sunscreen before your skin gives that warning signal.
O Skin cancer is largely preventableand the little habits accumulate. The goal is to integrate sun protection into your everyday life — not treat it as an afterthought when you’re already hot, tired and blushing.
