Basic facts about skin cancer:

Skin cancer is common!

• 1 out of 5 Americans will develop skin cancer sometime during their lifetime.
• Over one million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year in the U.S.

Skin cancer can by deadly

• Melanaoma, the dangerous form of skin cancer, can be very aggressive once it spreads from the skin.
• Melanoma kills over 8000 people in this country every year.

Ultraviolet light from the sun causes skin cancer

• Over 90% of all skin cancers are caused by the sun.
• When a person gets five sunburns, or one blistering sunburn, their risk of getting a skin cancer doubles.
• More sun exposure, including tanning, means a greater risk of developing skin cancer.
• Ultraviolet light from tanning beds causes skin cancer just like the ultraviolet light from the sun.
• In addition to causing skin cancer, ultraviolet light wrinkles the skin and makes a person look older than they really are.

Skin cancer can be prevented with good sun protection

• Protecting yourself from the sun does not mean staying indoors – it means taking a few extra steps to make sure your skin is safe.

Early detection is key.

• The most important factor in the successful treatment of skin cancer is early detection and treatment.
• Catching a skin cancer early always makes it easy to treat, and for melanomas, early detection can be life-saving!

How to protect yourself from the sun:

• Seek shade – choose shade over sun when possible.
• Cover up with clothing.  If you are not in the water, you should be covered up.
• Wear a hat – one with a broad brim.
• Always use sunscreen, at least SPF 30.

Sunscreen Tips
1.  Put a lot on – apply a very thick coat!
2.  Put even more on!  Most people only apply about 1/3 the amount of sunscreen they need to in order to get the SPF on the bottle.
3.  Apply sunscreen before you leave the house.  Once you get to the pool, there is too much commotion and excitement to do a good job of getting the sunscreen on.
4.  Use at least SPF 30.  Anything higher than 30 is a little, but not much better.

We are frequently asked which sunscreens are best.  Here is a list of just a few common sunscreens that are of high quality:  Banana Boat, Bullfrog, Blue Lizard, Coppertone, L’Oreal, Olay, Neutrogena, No-Ad. 

The most common reason why a sunscreen fails usually has nothing to do with the actual sunscreen itself, but rather is due to the person applying it.  Most people do not use near enough sunscreen, and most people do not take enough time to make sure that they have covered all exposed areas.

Tanning . . .  is out!

For those of you who haven’t heard, tanning is out!  It went the way of bell-bottoms and leg-warmers.  This is due in part to overwhelming evidence that tanning causes skin cancer.  But if you seriously want that bronze color, there is a safe option: sunless tanners.  A tan in a bottle is one safe way to get a tan.  These are safe and do not cause skin cancer, but it is important to keep in mind that they also do not protect you from the sun, so you will still need your thick layer of sunscreen.

A study conducted by the World Health Organization has confirmed that tanning beds are linked to skin cancer.  Men and women who have ever used tanning beds increase their risk of melanoma by 15%.  And for those who first use a tanning bed before age 35, their risk of melanoma is increased by 75 percent!  So if you really want to be tan, use the sunless tanners.