Mon., June 20
Summertime, and the Tanning's Easy

Summertime, and the Tanning's Easy

Tomorrow marks the official first day of summer. There's no better time to head to the beach and clock in a couple hours under the sun. Amid the revelry and relaxation, all that summer sun comes with a price tag: burns, blisters, wrinkles, skin growths, even skin cancers.

We've figured out ways to tan & tone, Botox, ink and spray our skins, but our bodies still don't know how to deal with loads of extra light we get -- the hours sitting in the sun or under the lamp, roasting away -- in pursuit of that perfect summer look. Today we're looking at both sides: the benefits of sunlight, the problems with overexposure, and the FDA's new recommendations for protecting yourself.

Are you a current sun worshipper?  A former sun bather? Are you taking extra steps to protect yourself and your children from the sun this summer? We want you to weigh in on our facebook page.


Guests:
Michael Holick is a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine. He's the author of The Vitamin D Solution  and The UV Advantage.

Nina Jablonski is a professor and head of the Department of Anthropology at Penn State University. She's author of Skin: A Natural History.

Dr. Robin Travers is a dermatologist at the SkinCare Physicians clinic in Boston.