Skin Care Hub

To most people’s surprise, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. About one million Americans get it each year. However, unlike many other kinds of cancers, very few people die directly from skin cancer. It is pretty much 100% curable if caught early and treated quickly.

There’s a simple preventive thing you can do to avoid skin cancer. Avoid direct sun light. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. But there’s another cause that most people are unaware of,  sunlamps and tanning booths, can also cause skin cancer.

Most skin cancer patients get them after the age of 50. But the damage has been done way before that. You should start protecting your young children at early age. And if you’re in your 20s and using tanning beds, think long and hard.

Summer is a great time to have fun outdoors. It’s also a time to take precautions to avoid sunburns, which can increase your risk of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved with developing skin cancer. During the summer months, UV radiation tends to be greater.

To help prevent skin cancer while still having fun outdoors, regularly use sun protective practices such as

* Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10 a.m.–4 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
* Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin. A long-sleeved shirt and long pants with a tight weave are best.
* Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
* Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
* Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.

It’s always wise to choose more than one way to cover up when you’re in the sun. Use sunscreen and put on a shirt… Seek shade and grab your sunglasses… Wear a hat, but rub on sunscreen too. Combining these sun protective actions helps protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

UV rays reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays will also reflect off any surface like water, cement, sand, and snow. Additionally, UV rays from artificial sources of light, like tanning beds, cause skin cancer and should be avoided.

Most forms of skin cancer can be cured. However, the best way to avoid skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The best way to keep your skin healthy is to be careful in the sun.

Limit time in the sun. Try to stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun’s rays are strongest. Don’t be fooled by cloudy skies. The sun’s rays can pass through clouds. You can also get sunburned if you are in water, so be careful when you are in a pool, lake, or the ocean.

Use sunscreen. Look for a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) number of 15 or higher. It’s best to choose sunscreens with “broad spectrum” on the label. “Water resistant” sunscreen stays on your skin even if you get wet or sweat a lot, but it isn’t waterproof and needs to be put on about every 2 hours.

Wear protective clothing. A hat with a wide brim can shade your neck, ears, eyes, and head. Look for sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s rays. If you have to be in the sun, wear loose, lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long pants or long skirts.

Avoid tanning. Don’t use sunlamps or tanning beds. Tanning pills are not approved by the FDA and might not be safe.

Your skin may change with age. But remember, there are things you can do to help. Check your skin often. If you find any changes that worry you, see your doctor.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. The main cause of skin cancer is the sun. Sunlamps and tanning booths can also cause skin cancer. Anyone can get cancer, but people with fair skin that freckles easily are at greatest risk. Skin cancer may be cured if it is found before it spreads to other parts of the body.

There are three types of skin cancers. Two types, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, grow slowly and rarely spread to other parts of the body. These types of cancer are found mostly on parts of the skin exposed to the sun, like the head, face, neck, hands, and arms, but can happen anywhere on your body. The third and most dangerous type of skin cancer is melanoma. It is rarer than the other types, but can spread to other organs and be deadly.

Check your skin regularly, like once a month, for things that may be cancer. Look for changes such as a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a bleeding mole. Also, check moles, birthmarks, or other parts of the skin for the “ABCDE’s.” ABCDE stands for:

A = asymmetry (one half of the growth looks different from the other half)

B = borders that are irregular

C = color changes or more than one color

D = diameter greater than the size of a pencil eraser

E = evolving, meaning changes in size, shape, symptoms (itching, tenderness), surface (especially bleeding), or shades of color

Don’t wait for the area to hurt—skin cancer isn’t usually painful. See your doctor right away if you have any of these signs.