Read article Looking after your skin
This page tells you about looking after your skin after a diagnosis of skin cancer. There is information about
Looking after your skin
If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, you are at increased risk of getting another skin cancer in the future. To take care in the sun, we recommend that you
- Wear close weave cotton clothing in the sun, with long sleeves and trousers
- Wear a hat that shades your face and neck
- Use a high factor sun cream when you are in the sun
- Avoid the sun when it is strongest – between 11am and 3pm
- Never use a sun bed
A note about sun creams
The sun protection factor (SPF) shows how much protection the suncream gives you. Factor 15 will filter out 93% of the sun's harmful rays. The highest protection you can get is factor 60, which will filter out 98% of the sun's rays. We recommend that you use at least factor 15.
If you have had skin cancer, we would advise that you avoid spending too long in the sun and that you use at least a factor 15 suncream on any exposed skin. The SPF is to give you extra protection. It does not mean you can safely sunbathe.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the Living with skin cancer section.
If you have been diagnosed with skin cancer, you are at increased risk of getting another one in the future. So it is important to take extra care in the sun. There is information about protecting your skin from the sun on our section on preventing skin cancer, and the Cancer Research UK SunSmart campaign. We recommend that you
- Wear close weave cotton clothing in the sun
- Wear long sleeves and trousers
- Wear a hat that shades your face and neck
- Use a high factor sun cream when you are in the sun
- Avoid the sun when it is strongest – between 11am and 3pm
- Never use a sun bed
The sun protection factor (SPF) shows how much protection the suncream gives you – as long as you put enough on. Factor 15 will filter out 93% of the sun's harmful rays. The highest protection you can get is factor 60, which filters out 98% of the sun's rays. Most people put suncream on far too thinly and this means that they don't get as much protection as they should from it. To get enough protection, we recommend that you use at least factor 15.
If you have had skin cancer, we would advise that you avoid spending too long in the sun and that you use at least a factor 15 suncream on any exposed skin. The SPF is to give you extra protection. It does not mean you can safely sunbathe.
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