Residents of southwest Saskatchewan have been soaking up the sun for a few weeks now. Those who like to tan and lay out in the sun should be cautious and use 'sun sense' this summer.

Dr. Torr of the Cypress Health Region says long term exposure to the sun can cause permanent damage to the skin, "If you get too much exposure, you get inflammation of the skin which presents as a burn or sunburn. The longer and more intense the exposure, the deeper the skin is effected. If you keep getting this over a longer period of time, you start getting effects such as premature wrinkling on the skin or photo-aging. Of course, our big concern is cancer as well."

"For the eyes, sunglasses of course, are a key thing. If you're looking at sunglasses, it's important to ensure they have a label on them that says, usually it's UV400 which means the whole spectrum some say 100% UV, but you really want something that is UVA and UVB protective." Dr. Torr says wrap around sunglasses are also better protection against the sun.

UVA rays impacts the deepest parts of the skin, or dermis, which will cause premature skin aging and wrinkling. UVB rays affect the top layer or more superficial layers of the skin. These rays can cause skin cancer in a person.

Another protective measure is hats which reduces the amount of heat that gets to a person's head and in turn prevents heat stroke. Dr. Torr recommends wide brimmed hats.

For those areas that are not protected by hats, sunglasses, and clothing, sunscreen is the last preventative measure taken to protect against the sun.

"Again, with sunblock, it's important to look out for a UVA and UVB protective sunblock. Usually, those are labelled as broad spectrum." Dr. Torr recommends 30+ SPF water resistant sun screen. "There's none that are water proof, they do wear out eventually depending on how much you sweat or time spent in the water. Look for water resistant if you're at the beach. Water resistant usually means up to 40 minutes it will protect you."

While many focus on the negative impact the sun has on a person, Dr. Torr reminds people that sun exposure also has it's benefits. "It is useful for us to enhance our vitamin D, it's also proven to enhances the mood, and for some people the tan gives an added satisfaction."