Just a single bad sunburn in childhood can raise the risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

With summertime inching closer and closer, it’s safe to assume that you’ll be spending some time outdoors soon. But do you know how to protect your skin from all that fun in the sun?

It’s Melanoma Monday, a day set aside each year to help raise awareness about the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

I’ve always been thankful that I was born with my mother’s skin…she has a darker skin tone that tans, and never had skin cancer in her life.  My late father, on the other hand, had very fair skin.  That, compounded with extensive sun exposure when he was stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico during World War II, caused him all sorts of problems later in life.  He had several skin cancers removed from his head, face and ears, and many, many other pre-cancerous lesions proactively removed.  It seemed like every few months he was coming home from the dermatologist with bandages all over his face and scalp.

A little vitamin D and sunshine can be good for you, but you always want to make sure youre protecting your skin while enjoying the outdoors. According to the CDC, UV rays from the sun can cause damage to your skin in as little as 15 minutes, so its important that you take the necessary precautions to protect your skin from a sun burn, or worse, skin cancer. Here are few ways that you can keep your skin healthy while soaking up as much vitamin D as possible. Long-sleeve clothing and hatsIt may not sounds ideal to wearing a long-sleeve T-shirt while laying out in the sun, but clothing can block UV rays, just like hats can do for you head. By wearing a pair of sunglasses that blocks UVA and UVB rays, you can help protect your eyes and the skin around it from damage.