July is Ultraviolet Awareness Month and public health officials are educating everyone about the importance of protecting eyes and skin against UV exposure.

Greene County Public Health Director Becky Wolf says too much exposure to UV rays from either sunlight or a tanning bed can be harmful to people.

“And that can damage our skin. And over time, repeatedly, that can cause the cells of our skin, the DNA composition of our skin of our cells, to change and then morph into skin cancer.” 

Wolf explains that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. She says about 6.1 million adults in the US are treated for two lesser lethal forms of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma for a total cost of $8.9 billion annually. She adds that melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. 

Wolf describes an important element to determine how protective someone should be if the UV rays are at a higher level on certain days.

“The UV Index Forecast is released everyday and shows the strength of the UV rays everyday. So if it’s three or higher, we really need to make sure we’re doing good skin protection.”   

Wolf recommends to reduce the impact of UV rays on hotter days is to avoid being outside on the warmest part of the day, from 10am-2pm, staying the shady areas, wearing light-colored clothing that covers arms and legs, a wide-brimmed hat to protect faces, noses and necks; wearing sunglasses to protect eyes, and applying sunscreen to the skin.