A: wear sunscreen

You know you should wear sunscreen year round, but chances are you don’t. Only 12 percent of U.S. adults use sun protection in all seasons, although 83 percent of us know that using SPF protection is a healthy practice that can guard against skin cancer. Knowing it and doing it are two different things because skin cancer rates continue to rise at an alarming level. The number of Americans who have been diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in the past 30 years is estimated to be higher than the number of all other cancers combined, with the incidence rates of skin cancer increasing continually recent years. To protect your skin from irreversible damage from UV rays, the World Health Organization offers the following tips:

• Wear tightly woven protective clothing that adequately covers the arms, torso and legs.
• Wear a hat that provides adequate shade to the whole of the head.
• Seek shade whenever possible.
• Avoid outdoor activities during periods of peak sunlight, especially during the midday hours.
• Use sunscreen.