As hot Georgia summer fully sets in, here’s what to know about sunscreen best practices

ATLANTA — When it’s as hot as it’s been in Atlanta, with temperatures in the 90s, your skin needs a little more attention too.

Channel 2′s Linda Stouffer has what doctors say many people miss about using sunscreen and protecting your skin during hot Georgia summers.

If you’re going out in the sun, it’s sunscreen that’s the most important thing, that’s what Georgia doctors like to hear.

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But now, some doctors are fighting social media posts that urge people not to use sunscreen.

“There’s so much nonsense out there,” Dr. Mary Alice Mina, an Atlanta double-board certified dermatologist, told Channel 2 Action News. “It’s so important that dermatologists are letting people know sunscreens are safe and it really is the best way to protect yourself from skin cancer.”

The American Academy of Dermatology says look for chemical or mineral sunscreen, rated SPF 30 or higher and broad spectrum. That’s what will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.

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It’s also important to use the right amount of sunscreen, and you may need a lot more than you think.

It’s recommended that adults use one ounce of sunscreen, that’s enough to fill a shot glass.

Doctors say children at very young ages can also safely use the protective creams and sprays.

“Starting at six months old, we can start using sunscreen,” Dr. Dorie Saxon, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanent, told Channel 2 Action News.

Saxon and her daughter keep cool by making fruit ice cubes. She said it’s important to apply sunscreen early in the day, at least 15 minutes before heading out, and to re-apply it after you sweat.

“Giv[e] it a few minutes to set in before you put on your clothes, and then once you’re outside, ideally reapplying it every two hours and when we get out of the water,” Saxon said. “People put it on once, then they forget to reapply. Sun protection involves sunscreen, but it also involves so much more, it involves wearing a hat when you’re outside, wearing sunglasses, wearing sun protective clothing.”

Hats are a good tool to protect yourself from the sun, and make sure to find the shade.

Doctors say skin cancers are on the rise. The Skin Cancer Foundation said getting five or more sunburns can double your risk of melanoma.

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