Protecting Your Family
In this section you'll find important sun protection information for people of all ages as well as some helpful tip sheets. | |||
Sun protection tips for: | |||
Your Skin & What Matters | |||
Studies had shown that fair-skinned people with blond or red hair and skin that usually burns with sun exposure are at greatest risk for developing skin cancer. These people usually have lighter coloured eyes - blue, green or grey - and often have skin with freckles. The Fiztpatrick Skin Type classification (below), based on a person's reaction to sun exposure at the beginning of the spring season, is a helpful tool for identifying those at increased risk. Skin types I & II fall into this group. People in the type III group may also develop skin cancer. Even dark brown and black-skinned people can get skin cancer. | |||
| Skin Type | Example | Sun History |
I. Pale white skin | Red-headed, freckles, Irish/Scots/Welsh | Always burns easily, never tans, extremely sun sensitive skin |
| II. White | Fair-skinned, fair-haired, blue or green-eyed, Caucasians | Always burns easily, tans minimally, very sun sensitive skin |
III. Cream white | Fair with any eye or hair color, Caucasians | Sometimes burns, tans gradually to light brown, sun sensitive skin |
| IV. Beige or Olive toned | Mediterranean-type Caucasians | Burns minimally, always tans to moderate brown, minimally sun sensitive |
V. Moderate brown | Middle Eastern, some Hispanics, some African-Americans | Rarely burns, tans well, sun insensitive skin |
VI. Dark brown or black | African-Americans | Never burns, deeply pigmented, sun insensitive skin |
 | When do I need to protect myself from the sun?You should protect you skin from the sun from 11 am to 4 pm beginning in early spring until early fall and during winter if you are involved in outdoor activities. The sun's rays are at theis strongest around midday, so try to avoid exposure around that time. The sun is harsher the closer you are located to the equator and at higher altitudes where the thinner atmosphere blocks fewer of the sun's rays. The damaging effects of direct exposure to the sun can be increased if there is reflection from snow, water and light coloured sand. Snow reflects up to 80 per cent of the sun's rays - so you could be getting a double dose of radiation when involved in winter sports. How should I protect myself? There are many ways to protect yourself from the sun's harmful rays, check out the following links for easy ways to protect yourself. To learn more about the UV Index and what precautions to take on high UV days, click on the UV scale. |
