HEALTH

better

Too much sun can cause skin cancer, but that doesn’t mean you have to hole up

all summer. Build up your solar smarts and learn how to enjoy the light of day.

by

LAMBETH HOCHWALD

photos

KATHRYN GAMBLE

Remember w hen a bright sun in a blue sky was a call to

action? Swimming! Tennis! Lying on the grass! That was

before w e knew w hat slathering on baby oil and sizzling

all day did to you. But now w hat to do with the fact that the

most common type of cancer in the U.S. is skin cancer and

most cases are associated w ith sun exposure? The short

answer is, be smart about it. “I try not to discourage

outdoor activities,” says Casey Gallagher, dermatologist at

Boulder Valley Center for Derm atology in Boulder,

Colorado. “Instead, I tell my patients to always apply

sunscreen to their face and hands every morning and plan

outdoor activities for the early morning and evening as

much as possible.” And when that’s not possible, the truth

is, there are many ways to protect yourself from the sun’s

harmful UV rays—even w hile you’re enjoying its warm th

and crucial vitamin D. “M y attitude toward the sun is the

same as raising kids—you do the best you can,” says David

E. Bank, a dermatologist in Mt. Kisco, New York. “I don’t

harangue patients if they get a little color and they were

outside doing fun things. You have to view life as a whole.”

W ith that in mind, here’s a guide to a safe, sunny summer.

KN O W YO U R SU N S U S C E P T IB IL IT Y

You garden, you play outside w ith your kids, you picnic. All

good things as long as you know your skin—and how it

reacts to the sun. The fairer you are, the more at risk you

are of getting burned. You’ll know this if you pass tan and

go directly to burn and blister. “If you’re really fair, find the ►