In honor of our new Surgeon General, and the fact that I imagine a lot of you are indoors right now, here are the Top 5 reasons you shouldn’t feel bad about missing out on the sun this summer.

1. Sun Burns:

While I’m the last person who should ever lecture about sunburns, (last weekend I literally got one on my eyeballs… if you don’t believe me, here’s a link) I thought I’d offer a little insight into what is actually happening to your skin — and mine — when we spend too much time in the sun.

A sunburn is a burn to living tissue such as skin produced by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun’s rays. Usual mild symptoms in humans and animals are red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch, general fatigue, and mild dizziness.

After the exposure, skin may turn red in as little as 30 minutes but most often takes 2 to 6 hours. Pain is usually most extreme 6 to 48 hours after exposure. The burn continues to develop for 24 to 72 hours occasionally followed by peeling skin in 3 to 8 days. Some peeling and itching may continue for several weeks.

2. Sun Poisoning:

Been there, done that.  Once again, not lecturing here.  Just sharing some important information with my favorite people.

Sun poisoning and sun burns are actually the same thing: your skin’s allergic reaction to the sun.

In the case of sun poisoning, however, the reaction is a bit more severe and the symptoms may become seriously uncomfortable. A typical sunburn involves itching, redness, and peeling. Severe sunburns may also be accompanied by small blisters that may lead to infection. Symptoms of sun poisoning also tend to include nausea, fever, headache, and dizziness and may also be accompanied by fluid loss and electrolyte imbalance.

3. Sun Damage:

This may be the hardest pill for some of you to swallow but I’ve got to keep you informed: A tan is actually a sign of damage and the body’s attempt to protect itself from further harm.

Wrinkles, Sun Spots, Leather, Oh my!

• Contrary to popular belief, a tan is not “healthy.” A tan is a sign that damage has been done to your skin.
• When exposed to the sun’s UV rays, your skin’s melanocytes produce melanin, the dark pigment that creates a tan. A tan is your skin’s attempt to prevent UV rays from doing any further damage to the sensitive skin cells in your epidermis.
• A tan does not help protect your skin from getting a sunburn in the future. A tan is equivalent to merely an SPF 4.

I’m not trying to kill everyone’s summer.  Just be aware.  Wear SPF - UVA and UVB protection!  Tan gradually.

4. Cataracts:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  (no offense)

5. Skin Cancer:

From the Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
• In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.
• About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
• The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.
• Melanoma accounts for about three percent of skin cancer cases, but it causes more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths.