Doctor shares tips on how to lower your risk of skin cancer

It only takes three blistering sunburns to put you at an increased risk for skin cancer.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — We’re still in the hottest months of the year, and doctors are reminding you to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.

According to Dr. Paul Dale, Chief of Surgical Oncology for Atrium Health Navicent, it only takes three blistering sunburns in your lifetime to put you at an increased risk for skin cancer.

He says you can protect yourself by staying in the shade, wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and wearing a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV Rays.

“If you take these precautions, you reduce your risk over your lifetime of either developing basal cell, or squamous cell, or the most deadly of skin cancers, melanoma, in the future,” Dr. Dale said. “Not only that, if you do these things, then your skin will stay nice and pretty.”

Dr. Dale says you should make sure to reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, sweating or drying off. He also says you should protect yourself if certain medications increase your sun sensitivity.