HELENA – Montana offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, but all of that time spent under the sun isn’t so great for your skin.
“People here in Montana, we love being outside. We love the warmth, and the comfort of it, but all year round, we need to be sun safe,” said Karen Lane.
Karen Lane of Lewis and Clark County Public health says that due to the high elevations here, Montanans are exposed to higher amounts of UV radiation.
“It is a greater danger because there’s less atmosphere, we’re closer to the sun, so to speak. The rays can be more intense. So we need to be extra cautious, and be very doubly certain that we use these Sun Protective Factors,” Lane cautioned.
Those factors include using a broad- spectrum sunscreen, and wearing a wide- brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face, ears and neck.
“If you’re just wearing a ball cap, you can get cancer on your ears.”
Remember, even if you don’t burn easily, “a tan skin is a damaged skin.”
And now you’re a little more Weather Wise.
