RALEIGH, N.C. – Warnings about using sunscreen can become common during summer, but a dermatologist for UNC Health is urging people to take precautions every day, regardless of the season.

July is UV Safety Awareness month, a time to emphasize the importance of protecting both your skin and eyes from ultraviolet rays.

Dr. Shweta Shukla of UNC Health explained that ultraviolet radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation.

“It’s emitted by the sun and certain artificial sources,” Shukla said. “So, rays that can be harmful from the sun, the ones that sort of we worry about mainly that we think about are ultraviolet radiation A and ultraviolet radiation B.”

Shukla says those UV rays increase our risk of aging from the sun, causing wrinkles, sunspots and, with cumulative damage, skin cancer.

To protect yourself, she recommends getting shade between the peak UV light hours, which are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Sunscreen is really the most important way that can be helpful, with at least the sun protective factor of 30,” Shukla said. “When people are putting on sunscreen, we think that they may be using about half as much as they should be.”

She says one common misconception is that sunscreen doesn’t need to be used on cloudy days or outside the summer season.

“You want to be reapplying every two hours when you’re outside. I know that’s a lot. But sunscreen, you put it on the morning, it does not last all day,” she said.

Shukla recommends being careful of the formulation that you’re using to ensure you’re getting good coverage everywhere.

“You can use sun protective clothing that has an SPF factor, so long sleeves, long pants. There are a lot of, you know, sun protective clothing that can be available these days that has that SPF factor in it.”