Skin cancer has reached epidemic proportions.
Every hour, one American dies of skin cancer.
There are more cases of skin cancer than all other cancers combined.
One in every five people will get skin cancer in his lifetime.
Those are staggering odds.
There really is no such thing as a "safe" tan. When UV light hits our skin, it damages the cells. The cells respond by producing melanin (which makes skin darker). Melanin is actually an energy sponge to absorb the damage from further UV damage. So in order to get a tan, you have to be injured.
Make application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 as much a part of your year-round daily routine as brushing your teeth.
"Waterproof" your skin. If you're spending a day at the beach or at the pool, cover up with waterproof sunblock. After swimming, toweling off, sweating, and/or vigorous activity, be sure to reapply sunblock.
Apply sunscreen liberally and reapply every 2 hours when working, playing, or exercising outdoors. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off sweat or water.
Remember your ears, nose, neck, and hands. They may seem small but they can burn big time. Always cover these areas with sunblock.
Avoid reflective surfaces, that can reflect up to 85 percent of the sun's damaging rays.
Surfaces such as water, sand, snow, and pavement all reflect and intensify exposure
Make sure there's a tube of sunscreen in the car for last-minute sun activities
Reapply sunscreen every two hours after you've been in the sun or water; even if it claims to be "waterproof"
Let the sunscreen dry on your skin for 20 to 30 minutes before going outside. It takes that long for the chemicals to start working and helps ensure that it stays on your skin where it belongs.
Avoid the Midday Sun as Much as Possible. The sun's UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To the extent you can, limit exposure to the sun during these hours. This is the most dangerous time to be in the sun.
Put your sunscreen on with your kids. Not only will you also be protected, you'll be a good role model, too.
You should start applying sunscreen to your baby as soon as he or she turns 6 months of age. (Infants younger than 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight altogether.)
If you're in the sun and there's shade nerby, stand under it. If there's no shade, bring your own (i.e., a hat with a 4-inch brim). Also wear sunglasses and tightly-woven protective clothing. Dark colors give more protection.
Wear a hat - A hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection to your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck - areas particularly prone to overexposure to the sun.
Studies have shown that every inch of hat brim cuts your risk of skin cancer by about 10 percent, since about two-thirds of all skin cancers appear on the face and neck.
Check the UV Index in the morning paper or on the TV or radio before you go out. Then take the necessary steps to stay sun-safe.
Sunscreens combined with other skin-care products (such as moisturizers) are real step-savers. Just make sure the sunscreen in the product has an SPF of at least 15.
CLOUD COVER IS NO COVER! It's a myth that the clouds filter out the sun's harmful rays. Up to 80% of UV radiation gets through cloud cover and straight to your skin. So use sunscreen all year long.
Avoid Sunlamps and Tanning Parlors Sunlamps damage the skin and unprotected eyes and are best avoided entirely.
Spread the word about sunscreens and the dangers of skin cancer to friends and family members. You could save a life!
The SPF level YOU need depends on your skin type, how long you expect to be in the sun, and the UV index (a measure of forecasted sun intensity).
SPF
The Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, indicates how much longer you can remain in the sun before you sunburn while wearing sunscreen compared to your time to burn without the use of sunscreen. The amount of time varies from one person to another and can be affected by several factors such as the condition of the atmosphere, time of day, time of year, reflective substances and the current condition of your skin. For example, let's say your skin would burn in ten minutes; if you use a sunscreen with SPF 15, you can stay in the sun before burning 15 times longer than if you didn't wear sunscreen, or 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours).
Use a sunblock with an SPF of at least 15.
SWEATPROOF
Sweatproof sunblocks can stand up to sweating caused by physical exertion or the heat. They won't block perspiration, allowing moisture to pass through the sunblock film and evaporate. Won't run in your eyes when you sweat.
WATER RESISTANT/WATER PROOF
Water Resistant
The U.S. government's FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has proposed a monograph that says that 'water-resistant' indicates that a sunscreen product maintains its degree of sunburn protection after 40 minutes of water exposure.
Waterproof
Indicates that a product maintains its degree of
sunburn protection even after your skin has
been exposed to water for an hour and 20
minutes.
After swimming, toweling off, sweating, and/or vigorous activity, be sure to reapply sunblock.
Remember: When using sunscreens, always read and follow label directions.
Your skin type determines the propensity of your skin to sunburn. For example, fair-skinned people with light hair and light eyes will generally sunburn more quickly and are more at risk for skin damage than those with darker complexions. For this reason, fairer-skinned people should use suncare products with higher SPF levels when outside.
There are five Skin Type classifications into which people are grouped, based on their natural skin, hair, eye color and their propensity to burn.
TYPE 1: Very fair/extremely sensitive skin.
Always burns, never tans.
Very fair with red or blond hair, and freckles.
TYPE 2: Fair/sensitive.
Burns easily, tans minimally.
Usually fair skinned.
TYPE 3: Light.
Sometimes burns. Gradually tans.
TYPE 4: Medium.
Minimum burning, always tans.
Usually white with medium pigmentation.
TYPE 5: Dark.
Very seldom burns, always tans.
Medium to heavy pigmentation.
TYPE 6: Very Dark/Black.
Never burns, but tans darkly.
Blacks as well as others with heavy pigmentation.
The most dangerous of all skin cancers, melanoma is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing tanning cells (melanocytes). If detected in the early stages, melanoma can often be treated successfully, but in the later stages it spreads to other organs and can result in death.
Melanoma was diagnosed in approximately 38,300 Americans in 1996. The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now about one in 100, and this is expected to rise to one in 90 by the year 2000. The overall five-year survival rate for melanoma is 85%. The five-year survival rate for localized disease is 93%. About 82% of melanomas are diagnosed in a local stage.
For more information on skin cancer, visit the American Academy of Dermatology.
Melanoma: Checking For It Is As Easy As "ABCD" (American Academy of Dermatology) - A 15 minute skin check for melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting nearly one million Americans each year. In fact, it is the most common of all cancers. One out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, the vast majority of which are basal cell carcinoma.
Usually appears as slow-growing, translucent, raised, pearly nodules which, if untreated, may crust, ulcerate, and sometimes bleed. If detected and treated early, there is a greater than 95 percent cure rate.
Until recently, those most often affected were older people, particularly men who had worked outdoors. Although the number of new cases each year has increased sharply in the last few decades, the average age of onset of the disease has steadily decreased. People are developing basal cell carcinomas at earlier ages and women are now getting it almost as often as men.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma, affecting more than 100,000 Americans each year.
Appears as nodules or red, scaly patches and can spread if untreated. While the cure rate is very high, squamous cell carcinoma results in at least 1,500 deaths a year.
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