Want to know more about Rick Lovett?Read More

I was just talking about how much time I spend outdoors. Most days I would rather be outside but I do take precautions when it comes to protecting my body from the sun. I wear sunscreen, usually SPF30 unless I'm going to the beach or will be in a boat on the water, then I will wear SPF50. I know too many people both friends and family members that have had issues with skin cancers.

Regardless of skin tone, everyone is susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun, health experts shared with Fox News Digital. 

They said taking measures to protect our skin against sun exposure might reduce the risk of developing skin cancer and premature aging such as age spots, wrinkles and sagging.

Physicians recommend that as we book time at the beach or golf course — or wherever we wind up going — that we remember to book a routine skin check with our dermatologists as well. Also, we should always bring along (and use) proper sunscreen.

"I recommend an annual examust include examination of the whole body, from the scalp to between the toes." Dr. David J. Leffell, MD, a David Paige Smith professor of dermatology and surgery chief at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., told Fox News Digital.

It is important for everyone to get checked, he also said, especially if there's a history of sunburn as a child, or if we work or participate in recreational activities in the sun. 

Also, if we're fair skinned, have light hair and have blue/green eyes — these are additional reasons to get checked.  Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) said it is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer — but caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable.

The main types of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. 

Melanoma is less common but more likely to invade tissues and spread to other parts of the body, according to the AAD. Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma, according to the National Cancer Institute. 

Dermatologists said it is important to do self-skin checks to identify suspicious spots that may need further evaluation by your doctor. 

The American Academy of Dermatology offered the following tips on how to perform a self-skin check.

Examine your body in a full-length mirror

Examine your body front and back in a mirror

Look at the right and left sides with your arms raised

Look at your underarms, forearms and palms

Look at front and back of legs, spaces between toes, and soles of your feet

Examine back of your neck and scalp with a hand mirror. Part hair for closer look at your scalp.

Use a hand mirror to check your back and buttocks

Regardless of skin tone, everyone is susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun, dermatologists said. 

The AAD said it is important to apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every two hours or after swimming and sweating.

Sunscreen and sunblock are two terms used to denote a chemical filter in sun protection products, said Dr. Rossi. 

The Memorial Sloan Kettering surgeon said that a chemical sunscreen typically contains chemical filters called avobenzone and oxybenzone, while sunblocks use a physical blocking mineral-based filter such as zinc or titanium oxides.

Rossi said that to help clarify, "We mainly use the word sunscreen and denote a physical vs chemical one."

"I prefer mineral sunscreens, which have historically been known as sunblock. The two mineral ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide," he said, "and they both protect in the UVB and UVA range." 

If you choose a chemical based sunscreen, it is important that it is a broad spectrum for both UVA and UVB coverage, he said.