Raising awareness for skin cancer and skin cancer prevention is one of our primary missions as skin care professionals. Skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the world. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
“Skin is the largest organ of the body and its first defense. Over time, the damage to the skin from outside factors, particularly UV rays from the sun, reaches a level that damages your skin’s DNA, causing abnormal cells to form. These abnormal cells rapidly divide in disorganized patterns, forming a mass of cancer cells.” -Dr. Singh-Behl
Fortunately, today, skin cancer is generally curable when detected early. However, once you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer, your risk of developing it again in the future increases. So three big things you should know about skin cancer include…
● Annual skin exams are crucial for the early detection of skin cancer, which leads to better health outcomes with treatment.
● Perform skin self-exams between visits to your dermatologist and if you notice anything suspicious, make an appointment before your next annual exam.
● If you haven’t been diagnosed with skin cancer, you should focus on prevention to avoid it altogether.
Now that you know why it’s crucial to catch skin cancer early, let’s talk about sun safety and skin cancer prevention. Make shade, sunscreen, and protective clothing your new best friends to prevent skin cancer.
“There’s no such thing as safe sun exposure! A tan is still DNA damage that can turn into skin cancer down the road. Always use protective clothing, hats, and sunscreen.” -Morgan Nixon, PA-C
Shade, shade, shade.
UV rays penetrate the skin the strongest between 10 am and 2 pm. So whether you are at the beach or enjoying a picnic in the park, avoid direct sun exposure during that time frame whenever possible.
Sunscreen 101
Make sunscreen a non-negotiable part of your skincare regimen for year-round skin cancer prevention. Here are some helpful tips to help you get started…
● Apply sunscreen to your face every day—whether you are going outside or not.
● Apply sunscreen to your body (everywhere that isn’t covered by clothes) when you plan to be outside—even on cloudy days.
● Reapply sunscreen every two hours (and after swimming or sweating) when spending ample time outdoors.
And remember to be extra cautious of sun exposure when near bodies of water, sand, and snow. These reflective surfaces can increase your chances of getting burnt.
What is SPF mean?
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is the measurement of how much UV radiation is required to procedure a sunburn on unprotected skin
What SPF should I wear?
SPF 15 is fine for days when you are mostly indoors
SPF 30, water-resistant is best to wear for outdoor days
SPF 50, water-resistant is best to wear and for those at high risk for skin cancer on outdoor days A broad-spectrum sunscreen which protects against UVA and UVB radiation is more effective
How Much?
● 1 ounce to cover the whole body
● A nickel-size drop to cover the face
How often?
● Apply 30 minutes before going outside
● Reapply every 2-3 hours (especially after swimming or sweating) when spending ample time outdoors.
● No sunscreen is waterproof- only water-resistant so make sure to reapply
● Apply sunscreen to your body (everywhere that isn’t covered by clothes) when you plan to be outside – even on cloudy days.
And remember to be extra cautious of sun exposure when near bodies of water, sand, and snow. These reflective surfaces can increase your chances of getting burnt.
Sun-protective clothing
Ideally, we would be diligent about sun protection all the time but at times this is nearly impossible. This is where wearing sun-protective clothing can be useful. While clothing, in general, has some sun protection, sun-protective clothing acts much like sunscreen and its effectiveness is measured in UPF (ultraviolet
protection factor). Similar to sunscreen UPF of greater than 30, ideally 50+ is recommended. Hats and sunglasses with UV protection are a must too!
Take Action to Prevent Skin Cancer Today! It’s never too late to start taking skin cancer prevention seriously. Our best advice is to start using sunscreen daily, and if you’ve not seen a dermatologist for an annual skin exam for a while, schedule an appointment with our world-class skincare providers today!
