There is a false belief that we should only protect ourselves from the sun's rays in warm, sunny climates, when, on the contrary, sun protection should be permanent regardless of the thermal floor where we are. In fact, the higher the altitude, the greater the amount of ultraviolet radiation, so even those people who travel to cold climate destinations should take steps to protect their skin.
During the holiday season, many people plan to tan their skin. “We believe that a tan is a reflection of healthy and beautiful skin and that without a tan, there is no vacation. However, it should be noted that there is no such thing as a healthy tan when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, since any change in skin color is a cellular response to avoid damage to the genetic material, opening up the possibility of suffering from skin cancer in the future,” emphasized Dr. María Soledad Aluma.
“Intense sun exposure during the holiday season is one of the main risk factors for developing forms of skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma and melanoma,” says Dr. Aluma. The invitation is to have a vacation where skin care is also part of the rest that our entire body deserves. For that, we recommend taking into account the following options, which are applicable to any place you wish to travel: 

• You don't prepare your skin by going into tanning beds.
  Many people go to tanning salons before going on vacation with the idea of arriving with previously tanned skin. This is apparently in order to prepare the skin to avoid sunburn and with the idea of “showing off more beautiful skin.” What they should keep in mind is that tanning beds emit high levels of ultraviolet radiation type A to tan the skin and this has been linked to the appearance of skin cancer. In fact, the WHO considers tanning beds to be carcinogenic. “An alternative for those people who want to show off tanned skin is to use self-tanning creams days before or to paint the skin with airbrushes, since neither of these are related to skin cancer,” recommends Dr. María Soledad Aluma.
• Pack sun protection items in your luggage
  This includes not only a sunscreen that covers UV radiation type A and B, i.e. is broad spectrum, but also has a high sun protection factor. During vacations, it is also recommended to look for those that are water resistant, so that the protection lasts a little longer. However, it is important to remember that after sweating a lot or submerging in water, it is ideal to reapply the product. The best recommendation for taking a good sunscreen is to seek the advice of a dermatologist. 
  There are also physical elements that can protect the skin, such as the use of clothing with sun protection, wide-brimmed hats and glasses with UV lenses.
  Another option that can be considered is taking some products that are available on the market that, although they do not replace sunscreens, help delay the risk of sunburn. These can also be recommended by your dermatologist. 
• Plan your trip ahead to have indoor activities during peak radiation hours.
  This is one of the recommendations that is most difficult for people to follow, since the hours of greatest radiation are in the range of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, however, some of the activities that could be considered during this time are: having a leisurely lunch, taking a nap, reading a book, playing board games, among others. This measure requires people's creativity and the will to take care of their skin at any time of the year.