GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As July showcases UV Awareness Month and as the height of summer bears down on beachgoers, vacationers and everyday Michiganders, health officials are warning to make sure your skin is protected.
Dr. Nathan Salinas, a facial plastic surgeon with Holland Hospital, said while some people can naturally burn more easily than others, it's still important for people of any skin type to use sunscreen to protect against negative impacts.
These, Salinas said, could range from physical damage to the particularly deadly skin cancer known as melanoma.
"You can have photo damage, those aging effects and some of those things and still develop skin cancer, even without a burn the more Sun exposure that you have," Salinas said. "And so, again, we care about all individuals within that spectrum."
Salinas said different types of UV light are present not just on those hot summer days, but throughout the year.
"UVA light comes through windows and comes through clouds, and so it's an exposure," Salinas said. "If the Sun is up, we can have exposure from that."
"UVB light is more prominent in the summer, and that's where we get the burns and, again, feel the heat more, that sort of thing," Salinas said.
For that reason, Salinas urged people to consider daily sunscreen - a routine he says only about 10% of Americans do, but could cut the risk for dangerous skin cancer in half.
"Get into a routine throughout the year," Salinas said. "Just as many people brush their teeth, put sunscreen on. You're getting ready for the day, go and do it."
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