Have you ever been sunburned? Do you know the proper to use sunscreen? “People who live closer to the equator and at higher altitudes are more at risk for developing sunburn” (Fact).

Do you know how to prevent a sunburn? If you burn easily, you should wear tight,woven/loose fitting clothing. Don’t wear dark clothing, such as black because it absorbs the sun better than lighter colored clothing. Limit your exposure between 12pm-4pm because that’s when it is hottest outside. People with allergies, or acne should avoid sunscreen with preservatives or fragrances, as well as those containing PABA or oxybenzone. People that have dry skin should use moisturizing sunscreen. For people that have darker skin tones feel like they shouldn’t put on sunscreen but they can still get burned.

Do you know what to do if you get sunburned? You should cool it down as fast as you can. You should drink lots of fluids after you get a sunburn because a sunburn makes you very hot. Put a damp cloth on you sunburn to take the heat out of your skin. Wear clothing that covers the sunburn so you don’t get more sunburnt in the same spot. You can also use aloe vera to cool the burning.

Do you know what skin cancer is? “Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. It occurs when unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells (most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunshine or tanning beds) triggers mutations, or genetic defects, that lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors” (Skin cancer). There are different kinds of skin cancer, Kaposi Sarcoma, Actinic Keratosis, and Keratoacanthoma. All these types of cancers can be reduced by preventing sunburns

I hope these things help you prevent a sunburn, or help you treat sunburns. I hope no one gets skin cancer due to a sunburn.