Summer is coming, and we are going to have a lot of outdoor activities; but while enjoying beautiful sunny weather, you have to remember to take some precautions.

Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer, including melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.

There are 2 main types of UV rays that damage our skin. Both types can cause skin cancer:

      *   UVB is responsible for the majority of sunburns.

      *   UVA penetrates deep into the skin. It ages the skin, but contributes much less towards sunburn.

Sunburn is a clear sign that the DNA in your skin cells has been damaged by too much UV radiation. Getting sunburn, just once every 2 years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer.

Sunburn doesn’t have to be raw, peeling or blistering. If your skin has gone pink or red in the sun, it’s sunburnt. For people with darker skin, it may just feel irritated, tender or itchy.

You can’t feel UV rays – the heat from the sun comes from infrared rays, which can’t burn you. This is why people can still burn on cool days.

See what happens to your skin when you get sunburnt.

Too much UV radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage the genetic material (the DNA) in your skin cells. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.

Your body has ways of repairing most of the damage. But it is not perfect – some damaged DNA can be left behind. Your body’s attempt to repair this damage is what causes the painful symptoms of sunburn.

Getting sunburnt doesn’t mean you will definitely develop skin cancer. But it does mean there’s even more reason to protect your skin in future, so as not to add to any damage.

If you notice your skin becoming pink or red, you should come out of the sun and cover up to help stop any more damage from happening. Putting on more sunscreen won’t help and won’t let you safely stay out in the sun for longer.

After sun lotion can help sunburnt skin feel better, but it can’t repair any DNA damage.

Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers can be invasive. As well as growing across the surface of the skin, tumours can sometimes grow down through the layers of skin. If the tumour grows through the wall of a blood or lymph vessel, cancer cells can break off and spread to other parts of the body. This is why skin cancer is usually easier to treat successfully when it is caught at an early stage.

Enjoy summer and stay healthy!