How to enjoy sunshiny days while limiting those harmful rays

Spending time outside can be great for our mental health  it does however pose some serious risks to our physical health if the necessary precautions are not taken. 

Sunlight is a major source of ultraviolet radiation, which in large amounts can damage the DNA of your skin cells by creating mutations (errors in your DNA code). These mutations can lead to unlimited skin cell growth resulting in a mass of cancer cells .

South Africa is really sunny and it is therefore not surprising that we have the second highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Anyone, regardless of skin colour, can get skin cancer but the risks are particularly high if you have fair skin, moles, spend a lot of time outdoors or driving, have a family history of skin cancer or if your defense (immune) system is weak from diseases such as HIV.