Health Gem

If you do one thing this week.... Protect your skin from the sun

‘Let’s face it, Ireland is seldom a sunspot. So it’s hardly surprising if the recent bout of “scorchio” weather brought out our giddy side, shorts and flip-flops.

But whether the sun is beaming its honeyed warmth onto us or playing cat-and-mouse with banks of clouds, do your skin a favour and protect it.

A few minutes of unprotected skin exposure to the sun helps build stores of vitamin D, which is important for bone health. But too much sun can accelerate the onset of wrinkles, and damage from UV rays is also linked with skin cancer.

There are more than 7,700 skin cancers in Ireland each year, 90 per cent of which are preventable, according to the Irish Cancer Society.

Its Sunsmart website (cancer.ie/ sunsmart) advocates using a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and with UVA protection every day, and wearing wraparound sunglasses and a hat outdoors on sunny days.

You can get updates on the daily solar UV index in Ireland from Met Éireann (met.ie/forecasts/regional.asp).