Gaastra can summarize his tips in three words: “Lubricate, clothes and keep out.” The application not only works against skin cancer, but also helps against skin aging. But when should you apply? “If there is daylight, then there is sunlight, so actually every day,” Gaastra explains. “Because even on a cloudy day you can get sunburned.”
Clothes
It is also important that you wear sun protection clothing, he says. “With light clothing, the sun goes right through.” There is special clothing for this, with sun protection. The doctor also recommends wearing good sunglasses. “In addition to your skin, it is also important that you protect your eyes from the sun.” The sun can have a significant impact on our eyes. From temporary discomfort to a permanent eye defect.
Finally, Gaastra advises to seek shade as much as possible. So to avoid. “For example, it is now being promoted that there should be special shaded areas at daycare centers.” Children do not have to play alone in the full sun. He also advises adults to seek shade more often on a sunny day. The sun’s rays can cause much more than just irritated skin.
Skin cancer
The sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Nowhere in the Netherlands are melanomas, an aggressive form of skin cancer, more common than in North Holland. Coastal areas in particular, such as Bergen and Egmond, are colorful Cancer Atlas dark red. The high number of hours of sunshine in our province compared to other provinces plays a major role in this.
“In recent decades we have had much more free time, which means people go outside more,” Gaastra further explains. The second reason he mentions is the increasing number of holidays abroad, where people are more likely to be confronted with intensive sunlight. Furthermore, North Hollanders generally have a lighter skin type, Valery Lemmens, lead researcher at the Integrated Cancer Center of the Netherlands, said earlier.
These tips will not only prevent red skin, but they can also save your life. Because the more often you burn, the greater the risk of skin cancer.
