Don't Fry Day Trying to Stop Skin Cancer

As Lowcountry residents hit the lake, river or beach this weekend — most for the first time this year — there's bound to be a few revelers who are going to end up overcooked.

May 25  is Don't Fry Day, an effort by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention to remind those heading outside about the dangers of skin cancer and the simple ways to keep your family safe.

Roper St. Francis Hospital has a list of tips to avoid skin cancer this year. At the top: Don't fry, don't burn and don't tan.

Here's how to do it:

• Seek shade
• Wear sun-protective clothing
• Generously apply sunscreen
• Protect eyes from UV radiation too — extended exposure to UV radiation can harm eyes and affect vision
• Check out the Lowcountry's UV index before heading out at the EPA's Sunwise

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Also, put that sunscreen on 15 minutes before you go outside and reapply every two hours.

Dermatologist Anne Chapas says the general recommendation is SPF30 for regular activity and SPF50 when spending time outdoors.

"The number means that it would take 30 times longer to burn than not wearing any sunscreen," Chapas told AOL's Stylist. "That means if it would take a minute to burn without sunscreen, it would take 30 minutes to burn after applying the recommended amount of SPF30."