Summer is in full swing and many of us are getting regular exposure to the sun. Making sure your skin is properly protected is a serious matter. While fad diets and pop science tout "cancer preventing" super foods with difficult to pronounce names, protecting yourself from the most common type of cancer really comes down to blocking UV rays. Skin cancer affected more than 5.4 million people in the United States in a single year, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all the other cancer types combined, and one in five Americans will develop it by the age of 70. Because this risk is so great, we wanted to offer some skin care, uv protection and skin cancer prevention tips you can take to protect yourself even where you didn't know you were at risk.
Are You Using UV Protection In Your Car? You Should Be!
The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that over 50% of skin cancers manifest on the left side of the body. Researches attribute this split to our sun exposure while driving in the car. Given that AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the average American spends 17,600 minutes driving each year, that's a lot time for one half of your body to be receiving more UV radiation than the other.
Check Out This Video From The Doctors
In addition, an article in MotorBiscuit says that the "University of Utah Health reports that the serious, invasive type of skin cancer called melanoma is found on the left side of people’s body in about 74% of cases. If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, you should protect yourself from this deadly form of skin cancer."
So what can be done? To prevent skin cancer, always keep sunscreen in your car and apply before driving. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and reapplying every two hours. Sunscreen is critical, because at least 50% of UVA rays can pass through glass, and even though they aren’t as intense as UVB rays, UVA rays are 30 to 50 times more common than UVB. The article in MotorBiscuit also says "Wearing UV-protective clothing and a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face and arms (plus your legs if they’re exposed) can help. Also, wear UV-resistant sunglasses to protect your eyes."
Another option for skin care and UV protection is having a professionally installed window film installed. This is an even better way to filter the UV radiation that causes most types of skin cancer, because it filters all the time without the need for reapplying every two hours. In addition, many professionally installed window films are recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation. You can check out their article on using window film for sun protection by clicking HERE. MotorBiscuit adds "The right kind of window tint will also help. Just be aware that some tints do not block UVA rays, so avoid those. Another matter are state laws governing the darkness of window tints in vehicles. Are tinted windows illegal in your state? If so, there’s no cause for concern. Clear films are also effective at blocking UVA rays even without the tint."
To check what the laws are in your area, click HERE.
We hope you found this article on skin care, uv protection and skin cancer prevention informative. Our company is proud to offer professionally installed window films for your vehicle to help protect your skin. If you would like more information on the products or services we offer, check out the link located HERE or call us at (619) 422-1199 or fill out a form HERE. We are located in San Diego, California and service the surrounding communities.