Summer is just around the corner. You may have plans to enjoy your favorite warm weather activities, whether that involves lounging by the pool, hiking at your favorite parks, or just going for strolls around the neighborhood. While such things are certainly enjoyable, they pose a risk to your oral health — specifically, overexposure to sunlight could increase your risk of oral cancer. Let’s talk about why and how you should protect your lips from the sun this summer.
Why Protect Your Lips?
The skin on your lips is quite thin, which automatically makes it more susceptible to sunburns than the rest of your body. Your lower lip is at an even higher risk because it is naturally angled upward. Burns on your lips can make it difficult to eat and smile comfortably. If a burn is severe enough, you might even have to suffer through painful blisters on your lips.
Burns, though, are only the short-term consequence of failing to protect your lips from the sun. Repeatedly getting sunburns significantly increases the chance that you will develop oral cancer or skin cancer on your lips. Again, the lower lip is particularly vulnerable; research indicates that it is 12 times more likely to develop cancer than the upper lip.
Use SPF to Protect Your Lips
One of the best things you can do to protect your lips is to wear a lip balm that contains SPF. Many products have an SPF of 15, which can filter out 93% of UVB rays. That is quite good, but it would be even better to choose a balm with an SPF of 30, which can block up to 97% of harmful rays.
Here are some tips on how to use SPF lip balm effectively:
- Apply it generously before you go out into the sun
- Reapply it every two hours or so.
- Keep in mind that more frequent reapplication may be necessary if your lips become wet due to swimming, licking, or drinking.
Other Ways to Protect Your Lips
In addition to using SPF lip balm, you can also protect your lips by:
- Staying indoors during the hottest part of the day. Typically, this is between 11:00AM and 4:00PM. If you cannot stay indoors, try to at least stay out of direct sunlight.
- Wearing a hat. A wide-brimmed hat may provide enough shade to protect your lips. Not all hats provide the same level of protection; look for one that has a UPF rating of 50 or higher.
- Getting annual oral cancer screenings at your dentist’s office. If you do end up developing cancer, early detection can be a key to survival.
Fun in the sun is wonderful — but it can endanger your lips if you don’t take appropriate precautions. Use the above tips to protect your smile this summer.
Meet the Practice
Drs. Bryan Griffith and Alex Hartgrove are the general dentists at Brookside Dental Care. They include a thorough oral cancer screening as part of every routine exam. If you are curious about how to lower your risk of oral cancer, they would be pleased to consult with you. Contact our office at 606-874-9311.