As the weather is finally warming up a little bit and the sun is coming out more often, now is the perfect time to think about protecting your skin in the sun.

Over exposure to sun can cause a whole load of skin problems, from premature lines and wrinkles, blotches and blemishes, to accelerated ageing of the skin and, most seriously of all, skin cancer. So here are our top ten tips for keeping safe in the sun this summer – and all year round.

• First and foremost, make sure you don’t let your skin burn in the sun.
• Cover up in the sun – wear a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses.
• Use a high factor sunscreen (factor 30 or more) on exposed skin.
• Apply sunscreen liberally to all exposed areas before going into the sun and reapply at two hourly intervals, or more often if it is washed or rubbed off.
• Stay in the shade when the sun’s at it’s hottest, around midday.
• Protect your skin whenever you’re exposed to the sun – not just when you are on on holiday or actually sunbathing.
• Keep your eye on the kids and make sure they cover up or use sunscreen too.
You don’t have to be in bright sun for skin damage to happen – even when it is cool and cloudy the sun’s UV rays can get through, so don’t be fooled!
• Don’t forget your lips – lip cancer is on the rise, so use lip balm with sun protection.
• If you have sun spots or sun damaged skin come in for a free skin scan and skin health assessment at Laserase Bolton.

We see lots of people with damaged skin at Laserase Bolton and, although we like to help all our clients look their best, we’d encourage everyone to take care of their skin in the sun to prevent long-lasting damage.