By DAVID STONE, Our Town Temple

The sun is shining and temperatures are on the rise — it’s time to hit area lakes, pools and water parks. It’s also time to protect yourself against skin cancer.

“With summer just around the corner, the risk of developing skin cancer increases,” said Dr. Katherine Fiala, a dermatologist at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. “While it may be tempting to spend more hours out in the sun, be sure to take necessary measures to protect yourself from harmful rays.”

According to Fiala, summer sun rays are strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“If you like being outdoors during those hours, find a place out of the sun, like beneath a tree or even a beach umbrella to protect yourself from the direct sunlight,” she said. “Be sure and keep children under 6 months old out of the sun completely.”

She also recommends wearing clothes that cover sensitive skin areas such as the chest and shoulders.

“Dress like a dermatologist,” she said with a chuckle.” Sunscreen is very important. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, and 50 is even better.”

“Make sure it is a broad spectrum sunscreen to protect against multiple UV rays,” she said. “Water resistant sunscreens are best, but be sure and reapply every 80 minutes.”

Fiala also recommends wearing protect clothing, especially a hat with a 3-inch brim all the way around.

Most dermatologists don’t recommend the use of tanning booths — they can increase the risks of skin cancer sevenfold, she said.

There are three common types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, she said.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It starts in the top layer of skin — the epidermis — and it usually can be treated or removed.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type, and it also develops in the epidermis. Both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are more common in elderly people, Fiala said.

The most third common type of skin cancer is melanoma. It usually starts in moles on the skin.

“Melanoma is less common, but it tends to be more aggressive,” Fiala said. “It’s the most common cancer found in young people 25 to 29 years old.”

Anyone can develop skin cancer, but it is more common among people with light or fair skin color, she said.

“People with light-colored skin, green or blue eyes and more than 50 moles should take extra precautions,” she said.

Fiala explained that moles are different from freckles. Moles are often raised from the skin’s surface while freckles tend to be flat. Freckles are simple skin cells that form pigments They can darken with sun exposure.

SATURDAY | APRIL 23, 2022

today’s best bets

• Temple College Vocal Point, a class that focuses on musical theater, will present The Theory of Relativity on April 22-23 in the Jackson-Graeter Backstage Theatre. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. both nights.The Theory of Relativity is a musical based on a book by Brian Hill with songs and lyrics by Neil Bartram. The show explores how young adults deal with their personal feelings and situations, and how they develop communities based on their shared experiences. Tickets are $5 at the door and students are free.

• Providence Prepatory School's performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Sam Farrow Amphitheater at Temple Lions Park. Show times are noon, 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

• Fire Base Brewing presents Name That Tune Bingo: Solo Artists. They did it all by themselves! We've got 75 of the rockin-est Solo Artists hitting the Taproom! Get ready to belt it out! Two bucks get you playing, winning, and having fun! Family Friendly. Come early to grab your seats! 7:30 p.m.

• Comedy Showcase at Corky's. Show at 8. Rolling Stogies Cigars at 6 p.m. See ad below for details!

• Craig Howell Band live at Bo’s Barn. 8 p.m. to midnight. 

• FishFest 2022 at Horny Toad Harley-Davidson. Live music & even better vibrations! Come out and support as all donations raised benefit Mission Soup Kitchen in Killeen. Noon to 4 p.m.

• Sounds Over Salado music festival features White Denim and The Stone Foxes. 11 bands over two days, including Nic Collins, son of legendary rocker Phil Collins. Tickets: https://radiomilk.ticketbud.com/sounds-over-salado-2022

  To include your events in What’s Happening, email information to OurTownTemple@gmail.com. Photos are welcome to for use in the publication as space permits!

On this day in 1936, rock and roll singer Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, Texas. He grew up in Wink, and while attending Wink High School he formed a country music group called the Wink Westerners. Later, while attending North Texas State College, he transformed the Wink Westerners into his first rock and roll band, the Teen Kings. The group played throughout West Texas and recorded "Ooby Dooby," which brought him to the attention of the Sun record label in Memphis. Orbison rerecorded "Ooby Dooby" for Sun, and in 1956 it became his first chart hit. In 1959 Orbison joined the small Monument label in Nashville, for which he recorded a string of international hit records, including "Only the Lonely" (1960), "Blue Angel" (1960), "Running Scared" (1961), "Blue Bayou" (1963), "It's Over" (1964), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and died the following year.