Healthy Habits

BEING SUN SMART - SLIP, SLOP, SLAP AND WRAP

It’s not hard to be Sun Smart. Research has shown that too much UV radiation causes sunburn, which can lead to skin cancer, and those cancers can be deadly. UV radiation can also damage your skin in other ways, causing premature ageing and wrinkles.

In New Zealand we are lucky to have clear skies and little pollution, but that contributes to very high levels of UV radiation in our environment. Our weather is also changeable – a rainy morning may mean we might leave the house without the sun protection we need if the sun comes out later. And even if the sun doesn’t come out and temperatures stay low, UV radiation levels can still be high enough to cause sunburn.

That’s why you need to be Sun Smart, especially during daylight saving months (September to April), and between 10am to 4pm when the sun’s UV rays are strongest. And don’t forget younger children. They most definitely need to slip, slop, slap, and wrap, too. Nearly 80% of lifetime sun exposure happens after the age of 18, so it’s important to make sun protection a life-long habit, starting as young as possible.