Summer · May to August
Summer Sun Safety
Enjoy the sun — without the damage. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., and most of it is preventable.
Most skin cancer is caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and tanning beds — which makes it one of the most preventable cancers there is. This summer guide pulls together everything on the site about protecting your skin, spotting changes early, and separating sun myths from facts.
Five things to remember
- Seek shade when the sun is strongest, usually 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — if your shadow is shorter than you, the rays are strong.
- Cover up: long sleeves, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses that block 99–100% of UVA and UVB.
- Use broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen on exposed skin, and reapply every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.
- Skip tanning beds — there is no such thing as a safe tan from UV.
- Know your skin: check it regularly and show a doctor any new or changing spot.
Know the risk
How UV rays damage skin, and why every skin tone can get skin cancer.
Prevention & Risk
UV Radiation and Cancer: How Sun Damage Adds Up
How ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and tanning beds damages skin cells and raises skin cancer risk, explained in plain language using National Cancer Institute and CDC resources.
7 min read · Beginner
Prevention & Risk
Skin Cancer Prevention: Lowering Your Risk
A plain-language overview of how to lower your skin cancer risk through sun protection, avoiding tanning beds, and knowing your risk, based on the National Cancer Institute's skin cancer prevention summary.
8 min read · Beginner
Cancer Types
What Is Melanoma?
A plain-language explanation of melanoma, how it differs from other skin cancers, and how UV radiation can lead to skin cancer, based on National Cancer Institute resources.
3 min read · Beginner
Protect yourself and your family
The simple habits — shade, clothing, sunscreen — that block most UV damage.
Prevention & Risk
Sun Safety: Simple Ways to Protect Your Skin
A plain-language guide to protecting your skin from the sun, based on guidance from the National Cancer Institute, CDC, and American Cancer Society.
7 min read · Beginner
Prevention & Risk
Sunscreen: What to Look For and How to Use It
A plain-language guide to choosing and using sunscreen — broad-spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, how much to apply, and its limits — based on CDC, FDA, and American Cancer Society guidance.
7 min read · Beginner
Prevention & Risk
Indoor Tanning: Why There Is No Safe Tan
Why tanning beds and sun lamps raise the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, especially for young people, explained in plain language using National Cancer Institute and CDC resources.
6 min read · Beginner
Spot changes early
Skin cancer found early is highly treatable. Here's what to look for.
Screening
How to Check Your Own Skin: The ABCDE Rule
A step-by-step, plain-language guide to checking your own skin for signs of skin cancer using the ABCDE rule, based on American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute guidance.
7 min read · Beginner
Screening
Skin Cancer Screening: What a Professional Skin Exam Involves
A plain-language look at professional skin exams for skin cancer, who is at higher risk, and what a dermatologist checks, grounded in National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society guidance.
7 min read · Beginner
Take it further
Guidance on this page is based on National Cancer Institute, CDC, and American Cancer Society sun-safety recommendations. It is educational only and is not medical advice.