The summer activities are here and with more time outside comes more precautions to help prevent skin cancer.

“People are eager to enjoy the summer, to get out but we also want them to do it safely,” says Dr. Ming Deng, a dermatologist with MedStar Health.

She’s reminding folks to be safe in the sun and the far reaching impact of cancer.

Skin cancer can affect anyone, not just people with lighter skin tones.

“Skin cancers in patients with deeper skin tones get diagnosed at a later stage,” she said, usually due to later detection which typically leads to poorer outcomes.

When it comes to protecting yourself, Dr. Deng says a zinc-oxide-based sunblock is the best option because it has the broadest UVA and UVB coverage. When it comes to what to look for, moles with a variety of colors, abnormal growths or streaks in the nails shouldn’t be ignored.

“That’s something to have a doctor look at and evaluate.”