With summer in full swing and the high temperatures being a daily occurrence, several people are finding themselves at the lake, in the pool and at the beach whenever they get the chance. However, all these places often bring overexposure to the sun, which can bring damage to our immune system, eyes and especially our skin.

So often we hear our doctors and other professionals telling us to protect ourselves and take the necessary steps to prevent skin cancer. However, we all know that many of us walk around with the mentality that, “I’ll be fine. That won’t happen to me.”

But, did you know that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime? Unfortunately, by the time some find out that they have it, it is too late.

We at The Tidewater News ask that each of you protect your skin, not just the rest of the summer, but all year round. A high portion of our residents in Western Tidewater are at high-risk for too much sun exposure based on their profession.

Yes, we are speaking about you farmers, construction workers, VDOT workers and all the others who spend most of the day outside.

According to the Skin Care Foundation, there are several ways to protect yourself against skin cancer and make the risk much lower.

For instance, the clothes you wear can make a big difference. It is encouraged to stay away from bleached cottons, silks and polo shirts and instead wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, hats and sunglasses.

More than anything though, it is extremely important that everyone wears sunscreen and uses it the right way. It needs to be SPF 15 or higher and it should be applied several times throughout the day.

We encourage you to educate yourselves on skin cancer and learn the other way to help prevent yourself from getting it. A good place to start learning is at www.skincancer.org.