La Porte, IN Dermatologist

(219) 362-0161

Valparaiso, IN Dermatologist

(219) 548-0360

Protecting Your Skin from Skin Cancer

Find out simple yet effective ways to protect your skin and keep it healthy.skin cancer

Whether you spend a lot of time outside soaking up the sun’s rays or you suffered from some pretty nasty sunburns as a child, there are many factors that can increase your chances of developing skin cancer. Fortunately, our dermatologist, Dr. Applegarth in Valparaiso & La Porte, IN, is here to provide you with a plethora of ways to protect your skin and reduce your chances of skin cancer:

Know When to Seek Shade

The sun’s rays are their strongest between the hours of 10AM-4PM, so if you want to truly protect your skin you’ll want to stay in and avoid the sun during these hours. Of course, we understand that it isn’t always possible to hide out (particularly if you work outdoors), so we offer some other helpful hints for when you do have to go outside during these peak times.

Always Wear Sunscreen

Sunscreen is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun and it’s such a simple step you can take. Wearing sunscreen that provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays is necessary. Also look for a sunscreen that contains at least an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before going outside and be generous when it comes to putting it on. Be sure to always reapply after sweating or swimming.

Protect Against Sunburns

One of the worst things for your skin is to get sunburned. While this happens to a lot of people, make sure that you and your family always wear protective clothing, hats and sunscreen when outside. It’s always a good idea to keep newborns out of the sun as much as possible. Once your little one turns six months old you can start applying sunscreen whenever your baby goes outside.

Stay Away from Tanning Beds

It should go without saying that using a tanning bed is so very dangerous for the health of your skin. Decades ago people didn’t quite understand the extent of damage tanning beds could cause their skin, but now we do. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, people who have used a tanning bed before the age of 35 increase their chances of developing melanoma by about 75 percent.

Get Professional Screenings in Valparaiso & La Porte, IN

It’s always a good idea, even if you do stay out of the sun often enough, to come in once a year for a professional skin cancer screening. While you should be performing self-exams every month so that you can detect changes that might warrant a trip to our office, it’s best to play it safe and visit us annually, too.

Skin cancer can be scary, but it’s important that you have a dermatologist that you can trust to make sure that you get the quality skin care you deserve. Whether you want to schedule a skin cancer screening or you have questions about your skin care regime, call Dr. Applegarth, your dermatologist in Valparaiso & La Porte, IN who can help.

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Our Locations

Hours of Operation

Valparaiso, IN Dermatologist

Monday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tuesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Thursday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Friday

8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday

Closed

Sunday

Closed

La Porte, IN Dermatologist

Monday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tuesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Thursday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Friday

8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday

Closed

Sunday

Closed

Valparaiso, IN Dermatologist

Monday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

La Porte, IN Dermatologist

Monday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed