Summer is the perfect time for residents of Saskatchewan to go outside and enjoy the wonderful nature throughout the province and the country. Just under 700,000 Saskatchewanians will travel on the road during the summer months and will no doubt be exposed to the sun at some point on their travels.

Unfortunately, the human body's exposure to the sun without protection is a dangerous risk for the skin. The more exposure the skin receives from the sun's harmful UV rays, the better the chances are for someone to be affected by skin cancer. Many Canadians will also participate in tanning outside when the sun is out and blazing - even this is enough to put people at risk of developing skin cancer.

"Anytime you're seeing your skin changing colour, whether it's tanning or getting a sunburn, that change in skin tone or skin colour is an indication there has been damage," said Kelsey Michaluk, Cancer Control Coordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society's Saskatchewan division. "When your skin cells are damaged, they will need to go through a process of repair. Unfortunately, it is at this point a mutation or skin cancers can develop."

So how can you protect yourself from the sun during the summer?

She explained how a good first step for residents to begin protecting themselves from the sun is to become familiar with the UV index. "It's a good idea to check the UV index daily, and this is a number between one and 11," said Michaluk, describing the scale for the UV index and mentioning it can be accessed online, on your phone, or from weather updates on the news. "If the UV index is 3 or more between the hours of 11:00 and 3:00 during the day, then we recommend you're protecting your skin."

In this case, Michaluk suggests people should seek shade, choose clothing and accessories to act as protection (tightly woven fabrics, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses with UV protection), and to apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

The Canadian Cancer Society asks Canadians to continue using their SunSense while vacationing outdoors during the sun's hottest point. Michaluk indicated how skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma) is not only the most common cancer in Canada, but the most diagnosed recently among young adult Canadians. She continued by stating young Canadians should feel no pressure to get a tan during the summer months, and to practice SunsSense to decrease their chances of developing skin cancer.

For more information, visit www.cancer.ca or www.healthychoicesforlife.ca.