Sun protection at the Festival
Festival Staff / February 27, 2012
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| A shared sliver of shade shields autograph seekers from the sun at the 2011 Festival |
Since much of the weekend's activities are outside, the Tucson Festival of Books is a great time to start smart sun protection habits.
The best way to protect your skin from the sun is to cover up. Having a barrier between your skin and the sun's damaging rays works better than most sunscreens. Wear long sleeves and pants. Choose dark colored fabrics and tight weaves. If you hold the fabric up to the light and can't see through it, you've made a good choice!
Also, wear a wide brimmed hat that covers your face, ears and neck, and sunglasses that filter out 99 to 100 percent of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
For any body parts not covered up with clothing, be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen. Here in the desert, it's best to wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and reapply every 2 hours.
During the Festival of Books: Keep a lookout for one of four stations provided by the Skin Cancer Institute offering free sunscreen. These stations will be marked on the Festival map.
If you have questions or need a list of local dermatologists, feel free to contact the Skin Cancer Institute at 1-888-724-2749 or visit
www.azskincancerinstitute.org.
