City pharmacy raises awareness of sun dangers - The Worcester Observer

City pharmacy raises awareness of sun dangers

Worcester Editorial 25th Jul, 2014 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

STAFF at a city pharmacy are urging sun seekers to stay safe this summer.

With the country in the middle of a heatwave and the start of the summer holidays now underway, Scales Pharmacy in Astwood Road has teamed up with the All About Health programme to raise awareness of the dangers.

Pharmacist, Ramesh Patel, said their staff would be on hand to give advice and tips about how to prevent skin cancer and other problems caused by poor suncreams and excessive exposure.

The move follows a report from Which? suggested not all sun creams work at the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) levels they advertise.




“Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with rates at their highest in 30 years, so choosing the right SPF for you and your family has never been more important.,” Mr Patel said.

“People often believe a higher SPF will stop them getting that holiday tan but that’s not the case. Neither is it true that a high SPF means you don’t need to put as much on. You should apply your sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure and every 2 hours or after you’ve been in water, even if it’s a water-proof brand.


“Of course, it’s important for you and your family to get a healthy dose of vitamin D from exposure to the sun but we’re encouraging all our customers to be sun savvy and do it safely.”

SPF is used to calculate how long people can be exposed to the sun without getting sun burnt. The higher the SPF, the longer someone can spend in the sun when the sun screen is used correctly.

“You need to look for a sun cream with both UVA and UVB protection as both types of rays can damage skin,” Mr Patel added.

“SPF levels start as low as two and go up to 100 but a higher SPF doesn’t mean you can lie in the sun all day with just one application.”

Visit the All About Health website at www.allabouthealth.org.uk for more tips on how to stay sun savvy this summer.

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