Blog

July 3rd has been designated "Stay out of the Sun Day." Little is known about the beginnings of Stay Out of the Sun Day, but it is believed to have originated as a reminder to people of the link between skin cancer and the sun. It's probably no coincidence that it happens near July 4th, a holiday associated with outdoor activities. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. And it doesn't take a lifetime of sunburns and summers to occur. Skin cancer is the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults (ages 15-29).

While it may be prime BBQ and swimming season, this time of the year is the middle of summer, when the temperatures are the hottest and the sun is the brightest and directly overhead, requiring extra protection to fend off harmful UV rays.

Chart from the National Environment Education & Training Foundation

So, July 3rd is the perfect day to save your skin and stay out of the sun.

To help you enjoy your time avoiding the great outdoors, we've given you some "Sun" themed activities you can do indoors.

Watch a movie. Here are some classic (well, mostly classic) films with "Sun" in the title:

• Tears of the Sun
• Empire of the Sun
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Little Miss Sunshine
• A Place in the Sun

Watch a TV show. Some of these are reruns, but a rerun is better than a sunburn.

• 3rd Rock from the Sun
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (not for younger viewers)
• Sunshine
• Sunset Beach
• Shahs of Sunset

Read a book or a play. Exercise your brain with these page turners. And, for most of these, you can also watch the movie!

• The Sun Also Rises
• A Raisin in the Sun
• Duel in the Sun
• Under the Tuscan Sun
• Evil Under the Sun

And, if you feel you just must to go outside, find a porch or a hammock in a shady place and listen to some of these bands or songs.

• KC and the Sunshine Band
• Silversun Pickups
• Island in the Sun – by Weezer
• Blister in the Sun – by Violent Femmes
• House of the Rising Sun – by The Animals

Now you have a slew of sunny options to keep you busy on July 3rd until the sun goes down and your skin is safe. If you do go outside and get a bad burn, a rash from poison ivy, or just want to get a suspicious mole checked, you can get a personalized treatment plan and appropriate prescriptions from our network of board-certified dermatologists. Consult with a dermatologist now.