Protecting yourself from the sun has several benefits. That according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Denis Fortier with the Regional Health Authority who says the biggest concern from sun damage is the development of skin cancer.

"Over time, if you expose your skin often or burn your skin often, you get chronic changes," explains Dr. Fortier. "There are three types of skin cancers. The first would be called basal cell carcinoma and that one looks like an ulcerating wound that just doesn't heal. It's not great to have, but they rarely spread. The next skin cancer is something called squamous cell carcinoma. It seems to spread a little bit faster so you'll notice it doesn't look like basal cell carcinoma. It's sort of crusty, bleeds easily and can spread. Those ones are a little more risky because if you do nothing with them they can spread to other parts of the body. The worst skin cancer is the melanoma. The really black mole that you didn't have before. That is a very dangerous cancer and it requires early detection and aggressive treatment to get rid of. I'm not talking about a brown mole or a dark brown mole, I'm talking of a mole that is really quite black."

Dr. Fortier says there is a rise in the incidence and prevalence of skin cancer but notes it may be a combination between more people being out in the sun and the atmosphere not protecting us as much as in the past.

For protection Dr. Fortier explains the first step is to make sure any exposed skin is covered, which includes pants and long sleeve shirts, wearing a wide brim hat and sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B protection. He notes, especially, when it's above 30 degrees wearing pants and long sleeve shirts won't be a comfortable option which is when sun screen is required. Dr. Fortier says you should have a sun screen with a minimum UV protection rating of 15 and 30 for those who burn more easily.