Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest times for fun outdoor activities, out on the water, out on the beach, wherever.
With so many people getting out to enjoy this summer holiday comes more concern about another danger: sun exposure.
The Gallatin City-County Health Department says that skin cancer is the number one form of cancer in the US and with it being a future danger, protection now can make all the difference.
The department breaks it down to four words: Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap.
This means slip on a long sleeve shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on some sunglasses.
Those four steps, along with avoiding tanning beds and seeking shade, can help prevent the worst.
“Skin cancer comes years down the road from that sun exposure and it doesn’t have to be those really severe burns,” says Jen MacFarlane, health promotions specialist at the Gallatin City-County Health Department. “It’s just the buildup of exposure to UV over time, especially people who are on the water in the summertime. They are being exposed to UV in multiple directions.”
The health department says you can look to the EPA for helpful information, including the current UV index. For more sun safety tips, click here.
Reporting by Cody Boyer for MTN News
