Sun safety

The sun emits harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can result in skin damage ranging from freckling to cancers.

Most people love sunny, warm days, when they can get outside for fun and soak up the sun. But sun is one good thing you can have too much of – and not even know you've had too much until much later, when, like 80,000 Canadians every year, you're diagnosed with skin cancer. Fortunately, the majority of cases of skin cancer diagnosed are less aggressive forms called basal cell or squamous cell cancers, which are fairly easy to treat.

Find out more about sunscreen, an essential when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun's harmful radiation.

Nearly 50% of people over the age of 65 have or have had some form of skin cancer. Almost all skin cancers are preventable. There is some good news, however: 95% of all skin cancers are curable with removal if they are found early enough.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Most types of skin cancers are preventable, and when skin cancer occurs, cure rates are high if it is diagnosed and treated early. If allowed to progress, though, skin cancer can result in disfigurement and even death. This is why regularly examining your skin (for example, once a month) is essential, especially because a skin cancer lesion often won't hurt or feel uncomfortable, so it's easy to overlook.

Daily sun protection is essential, but how do you fit sunscreen into your daily cosmetics routine? What goes on first - sunscreen, moisturizer, or foundation?

Certain medications can cause your skin to react when you exposed it to sunlight. These reactions are called drug-induced photosensitivity reactions. They can arise from medications taken by mouth or applied to the skin. These reactions occur when ultraviolet radiation reacts with the drug molecule, inducing mainly 1 of 2 types of photosensitivity reactions: phototoxic and photoallergic reactions.

Summer may be right around the corner, but skin care experts want Canadians to start thinking now about those sunny days - and the toll the sun's rays can take on their skin. Though it's the least dangerous form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma can be disfiguring if not caught and treated early.

People spend millions each year on self-tanning solutions, spray-on salon tans, and sessions in sunbeds. Is a "healthy tan" a myth, or could one of these sunless options give you a safer glow?