Preventing Skin Cancer This Summer

LABELLE, FL. -- The Florida Department of Health in Hendry and Glades Counties urges sun safety to help prevent skin cancer. Summer is full of outdoor activities. You probably put sunscreen on yourself and your kids when you go to the pool or the beach. But do you know you should protect your skin with more than just sunscreen anytime you’re outside?

Sun protection is important all year round, and it’s best to use several different kinds. When you’re working in the yard, watching a ballgame, or taking an afternoon walk, make sun safety an everyday habit so you can avoid getting a sunburn and lower your chance of getting skin cancer.

Here’s an easy tip to help make sure you and your family stay sun-safe. Get ready for summer with a tote bag full of different ways to protect your skin. Keep the tote bag handy so you can grab it whenever you head out for summer fun!

Some important things to pack—

•A lightweight long-sleeved shirt or cover-up.

•A hat with a wide brim that shades your face, head, ears, and neck.

•Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.

•Sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB (broad spectrum) protection.

More Sun Safety Tips

•Stay in the shade, especially during late morning through mid-afternoon.

•Can’t stay in the shade? Wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants to protect your skin.

•Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.

Facts About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types of skin cancer—

• Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable, but can be disfiguring and costly to treat.
• Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous and causes the most deaths. The majority of these three types of skin cancer are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

•Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes.

•Even if it’s cool and cloudy, you still need protection. UV rays, not the temperature, do the damage.

•Anyone can get skin cancer, but people with certain characteristics are at greater risk—

• A lighter natural skin color.
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Certain types and a large number of moles.
• A family history of skin cancer.
• A personal history of skin cancer.

The most common signs of skin cancer are changes on your skin, such as a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a change in a mole. Not all skin cancers look the same.

A simple way to remember the signs of melanoma is to remember the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma—

•“A” stands for asymmetrical. Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?

•“B” stands for border. Is the border irregular or jagged?

•“C” is for color. Is the color uneven?

•“D” is for diameter. Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?

•“E” is for evolving. Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?

Talk to your healthcare provider if you notice changes in your skin such as a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, a change in an old growth, or any of the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma.

Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention