Are you always safe in the sun?
I know that living in Scotland with its rainy climate a lot of us often don't think about the dangers of the suns rays on our skin however it is important to remember that UVW and UVB rays are present whether the sun is shining or not.

So even if you can't feel yourself getting burnt, you may still be causing damage to your skin if you aren't wearing proper sun protection.

Myself, having a typical Scottish complexion, red hair and fair skin, always have to cover up in the sun and wear spf 50 if I'm on holiday but I also make sure my daily moisturizer also has at least an spf15 to avoid damage. I certainly don't want to be looking older than my years by not being sensible in the sun.

The 'R UV UGLY?' campaign is funded by the Scottish Government and Cancer Research UK and targets young sunbed users but is also applicable to anyone who enjoys the sun.
They will be taking a high tech UV skin scanner to various shopping centres in Scotland offering free scans to show the extent of damage to the skin from the sun.

As well as cosmetic damage, the UV rays from sunbeds can also damage the DNA in skin, and over time this DNA damage can build up and lead to skin cancer.
The campaign comes as alarming figures show that incidence rates of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, have more than tripled among 15-34 year olds in Scotland in the last thirty years

Even if you don't regularly use sunbeds, the sun itself could be causing damage so its worthwhile to go along to hqve your akin checked and for advice about how to stay safe.

R UV Ugly will be in the following shopping centres on these dates:
Edinburgh, St James Centre – 15-17 October
Glasgow, St Enochs Centre – 19-21 October
Aberdeen, Union Square – 22-24 October
East Kilbride Shopping Centre – 26-28 October
For more information about the campaign visit Sunsmart R UV Ugly website.