We all love this time of year don't we? The sun finally makes an appearance after what feels like an eternity of winter. We all rush to the park to catch a few rays of sunshine in case this is the only day we get. But before you rush out of the door what do you pick up? Your sunglasses? Your book? Your suncream?

It still surprises us how many people are unaware of the dangers of the sun's rays. Skin cancer is on the up. The number of women diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer, has tripled in the last 10 years, and it doesn't just affect old people, with over a third of all new Malignant Melanoma cases occurring in people under the age of 55. It only takes one bad instance of sunburn before the age of 18 to double your risk of skin cancer in later life.

So it's more important than ever to make sure you are properly protecting your skin. Most suncreams have a recommended amount per square inch, and it's usually a lot more than what most people apply. This means that if you are not applying enough product, you are not actually protecting your skin to the level of protection the bottle promises. It's not a case of ‘less is more', you really should be lathering it on, especially if you are actively sitting out on the sun.

However, you needn't waste money on super-high SPF products, factor 30 is more than sufficient, as long as you are reapplying it often enough. SPF30 gives you 98% protection for at least the first two hours of normal wear, so as long as you apply more if you are out in the sun all day, you don't need a higher factor.

But the sun causes problems in other ways too. At this time of year we have to turn quite a lot of clients away due to the fact that they have exposed their treatment areas to the sun. This means that we can't treat using a laser until four weeks after the sun exposure, as well as not being able to treat less than four weeks before sun exposure is planned.

This inconveniences both parties, but it is for good reason that we have this rule. When you go in the sun, your Melanocytes (that is your pigment producing cells) become active. It is while they are in this active phase that it is unsafe to treat using a laser, as we risk permanently damaging the pigment in your skin, causing darker patches or worse, white patches, which may never recover.

So if you are planning a laser treatment, the area in question needs to have been kept out of the sun, and be clear of visible tan. If it is a facial area, wear your SPF30 at all times and do not sit out in the sun without a wide brimmed hat to protect the area. And if you do have a tan, call the clinic on 0115 9692323 to rearrange your appointment, otherwise you may be disappointed when you are refused treatment.