Sun safety

Key messages

• At least one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime. (1,2)

• Sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. (3-6)

• To protect your skin from the sun, seek shade, wear protective clothing and apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all skin not covered by clothing.

• To detect skin cancer early, when it’s most treatable, perform regular skin self-exams, and see a board-certified dermatologist if you notice new spots on your skin, any spots that look different from the others, or anything changing, itching, or bleeding.

• To find a board-certified dermatologist, visit aad.org/findaderm.

Supporting messages

Bridge to these messages by using phrases like: “It’s important to know,” “I want to emphasize,” “Many may not know,” “Let me share what I’ve been seeing.” Build off these messages by leveraging your expertise about this topic.

• The sun has two types of harmful ultraviolet rays that reach the earth — ultraviolet A rays and ultraviolet B rays, both of which can cause skin cancer.

  • UVA rays (“aging rays”) can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkles and age spots. (7)

  • UVB rays (“burning rays”) are the primary cause of sunburn. (8)

• The sun emits harmful UV rays year-round, even when it’s cold or cloudy.

  • On a cloudy day, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds. (9)

• The American Academy of Dermatology recommends choosing a sunscreen that is:

  • Broad spectrum: This means that the sunscreen can protect your skin from both types of harmful UV rays — the UVA rays and the UVB rays.

  • SPF 30 or higher: This refers to how well a sunscreen protects you from sunburn.

  • Water resistant: This tells you that the sunscreen will stay on wet or sweaty skin for a while before you need to reapply. Water resistance lasts either 40 or 80 minutes. Not all sunscreens offer water resistance.

• There is no safe way to tan. Every time you tan, you damage your skin. As this damage builds, you speed up the aging of your skin and increase your risk for all types of skin cancer.

How to protect your skin from the sun

• Seek shade. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade. (10)

• Wear sun-protective clothing, such as a lightweight and long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection, when possible. For more effective protection, select clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) label.

• Apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

  • Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.

  • Use sunscreen whenever you are going to be outside, even on cloudy days.

  • At a minimum, most adults need about 1 ounce of sunscreen — roughly the amount to fill a shot glass — to fully cover skin not covered by clothing. Depending on your body size, you may need more sunscreen to protect your exposed skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

  • When applying sunscreen to your face, use at least 1 teaspoon (about the amount needed to cover the length of your index and middle fingers).

  • Remember to apply to your scalp, neck, ears, and the tops of your feet.

  • When outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.

  • Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand because they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.

  • Do not tan — indoors or out. If you want to look tan, consider using a self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.

  • Use a tinted sunscreen with iron oxide to better protect your skin from dark spots. Iron oxide protects your skin from the sun’s visible light. (11,12)

Related Academy resources for the public

References

1. Stern RS. Prevalence of a history of skin cancer in 2007: results of an incidence-based model. Arch Dermatol. Mar 2010;146(3):279-82. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2010.4

2. Skin Cancer Awareness Month Reminder: It’s Never Too Early or Too Late to Reduce Your Skin Cancer Risk. Updated 05/01/2024. Accessed 11/11/2024, https://www.skincancer.org/press/skin-cancer-awareness-month-reminder-its-never-too-early-or-too-late-to-reduce-your-skin-cancer-risk/

3. Guy GP, Jr., Machlin SR, Ekwueme DU, Yabroff KR. Prevalence and costs of skin cancer treatment in the U.S., 2002-2006 and 2007-2011. Am J Prev Med. Feb 2015;48(2):183-187. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2014.08.036

4. Cancer Facts & Figures 2014. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2014.html

5. Robinson JK. Sun exposure, sun protection, and vitamin D. JAMA. Sep 28 2005;294(12):1541-3. doi:10.1001/jama.294.12.1541

6. Cancer Facts & Figures 2024. American Cancer Society. Accessed 10/31/2024, https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2024/2024-cancer-facts-and-figures-acs.pdf

7. KRUTMANN J. The role of UVA rays in skin aging. European Journal of Dermatology. 2001;11(2):170-1.

8. Chiou W. Severe sunburn triggers the development of skin cancers: non-cumulative/overwhelming uv damages, uva rays, human papillomavirus, indoor/outdoor workers and animal models. J Dermatol Res. 2022;3(2):1-17.

9. Global solar UV index : a practical guide. World Health Organization. Accessed 10/31/2024, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241590076

10. Holloway L. Atmospheric sun protection factor on clear days: its observed dependence on solar zenith angle and its relevance to the shadow rule for sun protection. Photochem Photobiol. Aug 1992;56(2):229-34. doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.1992.tb02151.x

11. Lyons AB, Trullas C, Kohli I, Hamzavi IH, Lim HW. Photoprotection beyond ultraviolet radiation: a review of tinted sunscreens. Journal of the American academy of dermatology. 2021;84(5):1393-1397.

12. Zhou C, Lee C, Salas J, Luke J. Guide to tinted sunscreens in skin of color. International Journal of Dermatology. 2024;63(3):272-276.

Last updated: 8/20/25