It was a great day last Friday! Sun was out, temperature was near 90 degrees, so a perfect day to go lay in the pool and enjoy! Yes, I took a play afternoon and enjoyed the sun and company at a friend’s pool. I lathered up with sunscreen, had my insulated tumbler filled with water and a floating mat was waiting for me. Ahh! This was the life for a few hours. Rotating like a hot dog rotisserie on the floating mat periodically. Then it was time to move on to the next adventure. I left the pool and realized my front side was perfectly tan but my backside looked like a lobster. Sunscreen worked on the front but needed a higher SPF for the less exposed backside.
It is that time of year to make sure not to overexpose ourselves to the sun while working or playing. OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences has many great resources on sun safety. One such item includes following the below guidelines from the American Cancer Society for prevention measures. Our FCS colleagues also have programs to teach the community about sun safety as well as conducting derma scans.
- Limit UV exposure
- Stay in the shade
- Protect your skin with clothing
- Wear a hat
- Use sunscreen
- Wear sunglasses
- Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps
- Protect children from the sun
- A word about sunlight and vitamin D
- Check for abnormal moles and have them removed
- Genetic counseling and testing
The OSU Ag Safety program has information on “Sun Exposure (Protect Your Skin)” offered through the Small Farm and Gardening Safety and Health Series.
Enjoy the summer and sun but don’t have too much sun!