Prevention

Genetics plays a large role in one's probablity of getting skin cancer. For this, there is really no preventative measure one can take. If anyone in your family has had a pre-cancerous condition such as atypical moles or full blown skin cancer, you should be very aware of changes in your skin.

You can't prevent skin cancer 100% but you can still do a lot to make your odds a whole lot better. Because it has been shown that UV radiation is a primary contributor to the development of skin cancers, sun protection and avoidance should be practiced regularly.

There are many things one can do:

• Avoid deliberate excessive exposure such as sunbathing especially during 10:00am-2:00pm

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat when you are out in the sun.
• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses and protective (reflective and/or tightly woven) clothing.
• Use a sunscreen (lotion, gel, cream, wax stick) with a Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, and preferably a "broad spectrum" sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation

• SPF or "sun protection factor" is basically the number of times more protection than your skin could offer. So if you usually burn in 20 min., with a sunscreen of SPF 15, you would burn in 15 X 20 min., or 300 min.

 

• Apply sunscreen correctly-that is, re-apply every two hours, using one ounce per application to cover the entire body for adequate protection.
• Some antibiotics, antihistamines and other medicines can make you more sensitive to the sun. Consult your doctor.

Protecting yourself doesn't have to be complicated. It's just a matter of doing simple things like using a lotion with a sunscreen in it, and putting it on everyday.

Although skin cancer is related to one's lifetime exposure to UV rays, most of that exposure comes at an early age- from about 8-18 yrs old. That is why it is extremely important to educate kids on how to practice sun safety.

Here are a couple more skin cancer prevention ads from the AAD (American Academy of Dermatologists). You've already seen one of them.

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