Sun safety during hot summer days is more important than ever

By: CNN

Posted: Jul 29, 2018 9:13 PM EST

By Patricia Del Rio

HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) -- With a beautiful day on tap, Sunday will be a perfect day to go swimming or just be outdoors, but it is also a day where you can very likely get a sunburn.

The sun, the surf, the sand, the sunburn. Nothing can ruin a day at the beach more. And it’s a lot more serious than that.

A new study from Kings College in London said most people are applying sunscreen too thinly, and not evenly.

Doctors say each time we burn, we put ourselves at risk for permanent skin damage and even skin cancer.

The trick is to apply and reapply and not to get confused or hung up on the SPF number.

“You put it on once and you think you’ve got yourself covered for a long time and the answer is not true. You need to reapply every 2 hours if you’re going out on the water and using a towel you are rubbing it off. You need to put fresh sunscreen on,” said Dr. Omar Eton, of Hartford Healthcare.

Eaton said it is also important to remember to cover the places you can’t see, like your back and the tips of your ears. But how much and how often you apply is the key.

Two public swimming areas in Middletown, Veterans Memorial Park Pool and Crystal Lake, are now equipped with a real-time UV index kiosk, that serves as a reminder to swimmers when it's time to reapply their sunscreen.

Doctors said to remember the teaspoon rule. A teaspoon for the large areas, like your back, your chest and stomach and each leg and a half teaspoon for small areas like each arm, your face and your neck.

These tips will keep you safe and doctors say keeping younger looking even into your eighties. Wrinkles apparent are less about age and more about sun damage.