Not only can the heat cause problems like dehydration and heat exhaustion and stroke, but the sun's rays can cause severe sunburns.
A tool to keep your skin safe is the SunZapp Smart Phone App. It tells people how long until they get a sunburn, but it also shows what precautions people should use -- including sunscreen, sunglasses and seeking shade. It also says what the UV index is.
The SunZapp app was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute. It's a free download. There is also SunZapp Pro available for $1.99.
The smart phone apps monitor your UV intake by using your location for real-time weather and ozone data. It will also send you alerts on your smart phone as to when you need to re-apply sunscreen.
"It's always a challenge to motivate people to do things. If it makes a little bit of a difference, I think anything that increases the motivation. Just like smoking cigarettes, we can tell people all day not to smoke cigarettes but if they have little programs and little buzzers that go off, it does help," said Dr. Ilene Rothman, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Dermatology Department interim chair and the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo Pediatric Dermatology chief.
There are other UV detection devices to let you know when the re-apply, including bracelets, necklaces and even patches to put on your skin.
Doctors warn there are limitations with these products. It's still up to you to reapply the sunscreen. And you should always wear an SPF of at least 30, despite what the app may tell you.
Researchers are hoping for more studies to figure out how to make the products more successful.
As a general rule, you should stay in the shade as much as possible, cover up with UV blocking clothing and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and follow the guidelines on your sunscreen about how often to re-apply.