Sunburn? ...In Springtime???

Sunburn? ...In Springtime??? 

Spring is the best time of year for getting out there and getting that yard or garden fixed up and waking up the begonias, and you would be right if you thought that is will be a benefit as far as your health and wellbeing. Just two quick points that revisit our other posts, watch for changing weather and TAKE YOUR ALLERGY MEDS!! ok, enough of the public announcements... on to the garden!!

So, you've tilled the ground, planted the seeds, watered, fed, weeded, nourished, mowed and discarded your dead grass and weeds... Now for some much-needed rest and... OUCH!! WHY IS MY SKIN HURTING SO BAD?! I must have looked at a bull nettle sideways... the redness, slight swelling, maybe a little itchy? but, no, I don't have nettles in my front yard, or in my garden... Did I get a sunburn??? but... but... it's Spring!

Unfortunately, this scenario plays out year after year, in many yards and gardens around our area and across the country. Sunburns in Spring! yes, it happens... The Sun is the Sun, and it does not discriminate between the seasons, but there is one teeny tiny little detail many suburbanites and country yokels forget every Spring... You've been covered by clothing (we hope so) or indoors for the better part of four months and now you are exposing your skin to a marathon mowing session or garden party of sunlight, without the benefit of sunscreen. 

Your skin is sensitive to the light and even the most tanned and sun-bleached individual will have lost some tolerance to the sun, during the winter months. so, when you step outside for the first bit of yard work, your skin is breathing a sigh of relief to finally be uncovered and it is also soaking up the Sun faster than you realize and before you know it, it has had too much. our solar over-exposure response, unfortunately, is a bit slow on the up take and we are not aware we've burned until it is too late. 

The thing to think about, when emerging from solar hibernation, is moderation and medication. Take precautions, such as the following:

1. Use sunscreen - even if it's only for fifteen minutes, use your sunscreen. especially if you are, shall we say, of Irish descent. but even if you tan like a surfer you still need to use Sunscreen, because the Sun's rays can still damage your skin, and can lead to skin cancer.

 

2. Cover up - yes, I know... we just went through that with winter! but, if you use a long-sleeved shirt or a large "Grandpa" straw hat to cover your head and shoulders (I see a joke in there somewhere), you can decrease your chances of a searing Springtime sunburn.

3. Do yard work in the later part of the day or early morning so that more of the Sunlight is defused through the atmosphere and has a lesser chance of burning you.

Well, that about wraps up our Sunscreen supposition, or our Springtime Sunburn Symposium... and remember, lightening can strike 5 miles from a thunderstorm! ...oh, wait... I mean, just because it doesn't feel like summer outside, you can still get a sunburn in the Spring!

These steps are not medical advice and should only be used for educational purposes. If you have issues with sun burning or allergies to some sunscreens, see your dermatologist for advice.

Enjoy your Springtime yard and garden and don't come back looking like a cooked hot dog!