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Charleston Dermatology Blog

Cold Weather Skin Cancer Prevention

  • skin-conditions
  • skincare-tips

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, you may find yourself deciding to skip your usual sun safety precautions. But wait! While the sun may seem like less of a threat during the colder months, you can still experience harmful effects from the sun during the winter.

Let’s chat about how to best protect your skin from skin cancer during the cold weather season!

3 Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer During Cold Weather Months

1. Don’t skip your SPF

While it may be tempting to skip out on applying your sunscreen during the colder months, it is just as important as it is during the summertime! We recommend applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen, with SPF 30 or higher, daily to your face, neck, chest, and hands, at minimum, daily. If you are spending any extended amount of time in the sun, be sure to reapply your sunscreen every two hours to all areas of exposed skin.

2. Grab a hat

Wide-brimmed hats are not just for days on the beach or on the boat! Wearing a wide-brimmed hat while you are out and about during the winter months can give your face and neck much-needed protection from harmful UV rays. Hats with a 5-inch wide brim, or larger, are best for maximum protection!

3. Throw on your sunglasses & SPF lip balm

Be sure to wear your sunglasses and SPF lip balm during the cold weather months as well! Things like snow can cause an increased glare from the sun and wearing your sunglasses can help protect your eyes from unwanted harmful rays. In addition, SPF lip balm is great for moisturizing those chapped lips and it helps protect your lips from damage from harmful rays that could potentially lead to skin cancer in the future!

When in doubt, protect your skin year-round just like you would during the hot, summer months. If you have any questions about how to best protect yourself from getting skin cancer or think you may have skin cancer, call us to book an appointment today!

Author: Sarah P. Fender, PA-C

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