Six tips you require to know actually get you away from skin cancer when cycling

Posted by tan xiao yan on

As a cycling fan, safety is something you must keep in mind all the time. You wear a helmet to protect your head, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and ride defensively to avoid careless drivers, kids, and dogs. However, like most cyclists, you may forget to put on your sunblock before you hit the roads and trails. And that is of a vital importance just like the other things you need to pay attention to when enjoying cycling. And the most serious consequence of exposing to the sun without proper protection in a long term is skin cancer. Therefore, if you love cycling and would like to enjoy it into your senior years, then don’t forget to protect yourself from the sun. But some cyclists may say they know the significance of sun protection, they simply have no idea how to do. Well, in that case, this article is writing for you.



Apply sunblock
Cycling is about spending time outdoors. And for most cyclists, they usually choose a day with beautiful sunshine to enjoy their cycling. Maybe you try to start off in the early morning, however, it’s easy to end up spending hours in the saddle at the hottest and even the most sunburned time of the day. Because many cyclists ride near their homes, they think they are not at risk if they don’t put on sunblock even for a short ride, says Dr. Sam Economou, who leads Plastic Surgery Consultants, Ltd. With these misconceptions, many cyclists are at the great risk of suffering skin cancer actually for the long-term exposure to the sun. Always apply sunblock lotion at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun or you start to perspire to make sure the sunblock have enough time to be absorbed into your skin. Even if you are riding at 6 am, it is also a must-to-do thing. Apply sunblock and reapply it after every two hours when you are outside. In addition to, make sure that you’re your sunblock is effective against both UVA and UVB rays, which means that you should choose a sunblock with an SPF rating of at least 30 on arms, legs, face and neck and a water-resistant SPF of 50+ on your nose and the top of your ears.

Wear cycling sleeves
To prevent you from suffering skin cancer, reducing your skin exposure to the sun as possibly as is the key. When cycling outside, you must try your best to make sure your skin under cover. Therefore cycling sleeves are something you must be equipped with to limit your arm skin exposure to the sun. Choose those which are UV resistant with high SPE rating, at least 30+, also long ones are highly recommended to protect against harmful UVA/UVB rays. Remember, UV rays are present even on cloudy days. Thus, whenever you are going to ride your bike outside, cooling long-sleeves jerseys are something you cannot forget about.

Polarized UV-blocking sunglasses
Actually, most cyclists will wear sunglasses when cycling to protect their eyes from dust and dirt, however, many of them will not choose the UV-blocking one, because they think that the ordinary sunglasses is enough to protect them from the sun. There is no doubt that they are completely wrong. Only the UV-blocking sunglasses can protect you your retinas from harmful UV rays. Beyond that, sunglasses can also wrap around your face offer the best protection. Polarized lenses help cut the glare to help you see better during your cycling.

Wear cycling gloves
Many cyclists may think that gloves are a little bit inconvenient for cycling, or some may think that gloves can only function as a buffer area to reduce the shock and increase friction. However, gloves are also in a vital significance of sun protection. Wear gloves specifically designed for cycling. Cloves are helpful in protecting the tops of your hands from sunburn, which is one of the most exposed parts of your body during a ride. Thus they can prevent you from suffering skin cancer effectively.

Wear a helmet
Wear a helmet with a visor to help you keep the sun off your face. The most susceptible place on your body for skin cancer is your head, the top of your head, your face, nose, and ears, says Dr. Economou. Except for a helmet, cyclists should wear a thin cycling cap underneath their helmets to prevent from being sunburned on the top of their head.

Stay hydrated
It is no need to emphasize too much about the importance of water for us, to maintain your healthy skin, enough water supply is indispensable. Don’t forget to stay hydrated while cycling. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages before and during cycling is wise. It is easier to get sunburned and long-term skin damage when your skin dries out or is not hydrated properly. Also keep in mind that water is the best choice to drink when exercising but not sports drinks, for they will only add empty calories.

cycling and sunburn

To recap

Sunburn is not only a short-term discomfort but also can lead to skin cancer later in life. Worse still, skin cancer can quickly spread and become life-threatening. Therefore, sun protection is an absolutely must-to-do thing when cycling outside. Following the above tips I have mentioned above and protect your skin from the sun all the time accordingly, you can enjoy your cycling in the beautiful sunshine without worrying about skin cancer.