During the summer months, your skin is usually exposed more often to the sun. While it can be refreshing to feel the warmth of the sun's rays on your bare skin, it can also cause a lot of damage as well. Here are three ways you can avoid sun damage to your skin.

1. Use sunscreen often.

The most important thing you can do for your skin when you are going to be outside for any length of time is to use sunscreen. It does not matter if it's in the middle of summer or it's during the winter, if your skin will be exposed to the sun for a significant period of time, you need to make sure you put sunscreen on - especially on your face. For many people, using a sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 is fine. If you have lighter skin, are more prone to burning, play outdoor sports, or participating in outdoor activities during the summer, you will likely want to go with a sunscreen with a higher SPF. 

2. Limit your time in the sun.

Even sunscreen has its limits. For this reason, you should limit the amount of time you spend out in the sun during the summer months. Not only is the sun exposure bad for your skin, but the excessive heat can also cause other skin conditions such as rashes and acne. If you have one of these conditions, the only way you may be able to treat them is with sun damage repair from a dermatologist. These are conditions that sunscreen won't help since they are caused by heat and not by getting a sunburn. So, if your skin is prone to breaking out because of heat exposure, you will definitely want to avoid staying out in the sun all day during the summer.

3. Never use any type of oil on your skin while out in the sun.

Purposefully laying out in the sun to get a tan can be very harmful for your skin, but it is made even more harmful when you use oils on your skin. It used to be that people put baby oil on before they went sun bathing, but now most people use tanning oils. These are incredibly bad for the health of your skin because they don't provide much, if any, protection against the sun's harmful rays. Not only that, but it actually magnifies the effect of the sun on your skin, which then increases your chances of developing skin cancers.

While it is fun to stay out in the sun and even fashionable to get a tan, you need to take proper precautions when it comes to protecting your skin. Just one day without using sunscreen can cause so much sun damage to your skin, that it takes years to undo. So always be sure you wear the appropriate sunscreen and you limit your time out in the sun - the health of your skin depends on it.

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