By Brian Arola

Hibbing Daily Tribune

HIBBING — After the winters Minnesotans go through, a little summer sun is well deserved.

Catching too many rays, however, can lead to complications later in life.

Keeping skin safe from the sun’s potent summer rays should be a consideration for all families this time of year.

The sun’s rays don’t get much stronger than in July, meaning any outdoor activities should be accompanied by a spray or rub of sunscreen.

Marne Guthrie, esthetician and laser technician at Essentia Health’s Skin Renewal Center in Duluth, said people shouldn’t underestimate the damage the sun can reek on the skin.

“The sun is the skin’s worst enemy,” she said. “It’s more potent than anything else as far as damage that can be done.”

The damage is made even worse by teens and adults who are focused more on the cosmetic allure of a bronzed figure than their skin’s health. Most people know a sunburn is bad news, but any color at all signals some degree of damage to the skin.

Numerous varieties of sunscreen are available at stores, but Guthrie recommended people buy at least SPF 30 with broad spectrum protection. As for how much you should apply, she said a shot glass worth for the body and a tablespoon for the face should do the trick.

Reapplication is as important as application in the first place, too. If you’re swimming or sweating, reapplying sunscreen every couple of hours is especially necessary if you want to stay out in the sun.

A painful sunburn is far from the most severe consequences of neglecting the skin.

Basal and squamous skin cancers, which UV rays contribute to, make up the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country, according to the American Cancer Society. They’re considered treatable, but can lead to scarring among other things.

A more serious form of cancer, melanoma, can also develop as a result of overexposure to UV rays. Those with fairer skin who tend to have a lot of moles are especially at risk, because the melanoma might be thought of as a mole rather than something more serious.

Painful, short-term effects beyond sunburn can also occur.

Dr. David Hutchinson, family doctor in the St. Luke’s health system, said he’s seen patients come in with second-degree burns caused by the sun. Oftentimes it occurs because people overlook the importance of protecting their skin.

“It’s usually just oversight,” he said. “They’re feeling sun-starved and eager for sunlight exposure.”

Unfortunately, staying out of the sun is the only sure-fire way to completely limit the dangers of UV rays.

“Sunscreen isn’t the most you can do for sun protection, shade is,” Hutchinson said.

A hat and sunglasses can help as well, Guthrie said. She added that sunscreen helps, but it shouldn’t be viewed as a sunblock.

“They used to call sunscreen ‘sunblock,’ but there’s no way of blocking all of the sun,” she said.

Through a combination of sunscreen, shade and a good hat and sunglasses, Minnesotans should be able to enjoy the summer they deserve while ensuring their body’s biggest organ is protected.

—Distributed by the Associated Press.