St. Lawrence County Public Health is warning people to protect their skin from the sun this summer, when the sun is strong.

Even a few serious sunburns can increase your risk of skin cancer later in life, according to county Community Health Educator Brigette Sanderson.

Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause sunburn, premature aging of skin, cataracts and other eye damage, weakening of the immune system, and skin cancer.

Following these simple steps can, you can protect yourself from overexposure:

• wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays

• use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher

• reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off

• stay in the shade during midday hours

• wear light clothing that covers your arms and legs.

Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen will provide protection from both UVA and UVB rays. SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, is a measure of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent the sun from damaging the skin. If it takes your skin 20 minutes to redden without any sunscreen, using sunscreen with SPF of 15 would protect your skin for 15 times longer--about 5 hours.

It is recommended to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 for regular day-to-day outdoor activities. For prolonged outdoor activity like gardening or spending the day at the beach, look to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher for longer protection from the sun.

For more information on sunscreen or ways to protect yourself from the sun, check out the Public Health Department’s website at https://www.stlawco.org/Departments/PublicHealth/PreventiveHealth or call them at 315-386-2325.