Taking part in all manner of open-air activities and spending time sunbathing on the beach become the norm once the summer season is upon us. However, we at Marbella’s USP Hospital would like to invite you to enjoy the summer and all the benefits of the sun, but with caution. The rays of this celestial body are a wonderful stimulant to get your organism metabolising vitamin D better, and also improve capillary circulation (thanks to their vasodilatory effect) and the elimination of toxins (through sweating). But they can also cause ageing of the skin, sun allergies and blotches, in particular in people with high levels of sensitivity, such as pregnant women and those undergoing certain pharmaceutical treatments. These are some of the more immediate effects of excess sun, without neglecting skin cancer, both melanoma and non-melanoma (basal cell and spindle cell). Skin cancer is caused by the development of neoplastic (cancerous) cells in the outer layers of the skin. These include basal cell carcinoma, or malignant skin tumours, these being the most common neoplasms, or tumours, to affect the human population, making up almost half of all cancer cases. In any event, we should avoid spending too much time exposed to the sun or without protection against UV radiation. The key lies in adopting a series of habits, using protectio factor creams 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, applied to dry skin, using physical barriers such as hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved clothing, preferably dark coloured, sunshades... and avoiding exposure to the sun during the middle of the day, between 12 o’clock and 4 o’clock. It is possible to sunbathe healthily, by using a protection factor of more than 15, and through moderate, progressive exposure. Care should be taken when playing sport in the open air during the summer months, as well as sunburn through taking your sunbathing too far when on holiday