We’ve all done it. After a long day in the sun, we’ve stood in front of the mirror and groaned loudly/oops when we saw the red spots that popped up after a hot shower at the beach.
Whether you didn’t apply enough sunscreen the first time, neglected to reapply regularly throughout the day, or just “forgot” about harmful UV rays, here’s a list of the most often forgotten body parts that are still prone to sunburn (and it hurts when they burn themselves).
Scalp
Like the rest of your body’s skin, the top of your head is susceptible to sun damage. If you don’t wear a hat, why not? Second, no, your luscious hair isn’t enough to protect your scalp from sunburn. Take a small amount of facial sunscreen and apply it to the sections of your hair. If you’re bald, just lather it all over your skull.
Ears
Those things that stick out on the side of your head, yes, that’s right there. Just a reminder that your ears are exposed to the sun when you’re walking, driving, or working at a desk near a window. So start by applying your daily sunscreen to the edges, including your ears, chin, neck, and scalp.
Eyelids
Are you keeping your eyes protected? It sounds novel, but without a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a layer of sunscreen, you’re practically begging our (bad) friends UVA and UVB to come and burn you. Our eyelids are also very sensitive. Even though a sunburn stings the area, we recommend being careful when applying sunscreen as well.
Lips
For some reason, we focus mostly on our cheeks, noses, and foreheads, and forget about our lips, which are actually made up of highly sensitive tissue. The skin on our lips is very thin, which means it’s much more fragile than the rest of our body and highly susceptible to skin cancer if repeatedly damaged. It’s time to invest in a good lip balm with SPF right away!
Hands
You’ve already applied sunscreen to your arms, but have you ever made it all the way to your fingertips? Don’t lie… the backs of our hands are just as susceptible to sunburn as the rest of our long limbs, and are often one of the first areas of the body to show signs of aging (freckles, sunspots, prominent veins, wrinkles, sagging skin).
Feet
Your feet don’t see the sun for months (thank you, winter), and then suddenly you’re wearing sandals to the office and walking barefoot from the beach to the bar on Saturdays. The tops of our feet need some protection, too, if you want to avoid the peeling, Birkenstock-like feeling of a suntan.
Behind the Knees
If you’re someone who allocates SPF to the top of your legs first, then the bottom, you know it’s easy to forget about the back of your knees in the middle. Not to mention, this part of our bodies tends to sweat a lot, so the sunscreen you apply is likely to be removed and/or rubbed off faster. There’s nothing worse than getting a bad sunburn in those crooked creases! This makes walking, working out, and sitting at your desk that much more uncomfortable. You’ve been warned.
Armpits
You’re lying on your back with a sweet summer novel spread over your head, and suddenly your soft armpits are completely exposed to the harsh sun. We’ll be the first to admit, there’s no sunscreen habit here (we recommend applying sunscreen before deodorant so your skin has time to absorb the product), but every whiff of a possible sunburn makes us anxious.
