You want to be out and about with your friends and family taking advantage of the great weather. But on the other hand, when the summer is here, you are more likely to hear of stories informing you of excess sun exposure.

It may appear that such stories are no more than a headache but by being aware of the facts you could reduce the risk of obtaining sun burn, premature ageing or even worse skin cancer.

Despite the constant warnings there are too many people that do not protect themselves from the rays of the sun and are quite happy when they see that they have a nice bronze tan.

No one ever thinks that they will get skin cancer, but it is this mentality that is actually putting that person at risk. If you do go out into the sun without any protection of any kind then you are putting your health at risk. A tan may look attractive, but it is no more than dark skin, which is skin that has become burnt.

And it is for this reason alone that products such as sun lotions and sun blocks have been created. They give you the choice of being able to enjoy the long summer days whilst at the same time protecting your skin.

You should opt for products which have a SPF of no less than 18, but if you have very fair skin then you need to make sure that the SPF is much higher. The worst thing that can happen to you when you are enjoying the warm sun shine is to be diagnosed with skin cancer. As little as thirty minutes of exposure is enough to put anyone of any age at risk.

There are no exceptions. If you have had a long bout of exposure to the sun then you should check your body for the formation of any new moles. In a world where staying young is vital it seems odd that people are prepared to expose their skin to the sun given that it can cause premature ageing.

You can also develop pigmentation on the skin and these marks whilst harmless are referred to as age spots or liver spots. Again make sure that you are applying sun lotion or sun block to your face also and not just your arms and legs.

Finally over exposure to the sun can result in the skin becoming very thick and in some cases the skin can also become very thin. And if your skin is becoming thinner, then a thin layer of skin is not going to be of much protection against the intense UV rays of the sun.

Just be careful and take the right steps to protect your skin and enjoy that warm sunshine!