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Use Your Common Sun Sense and Have Fun Outside
Skin cancer is now the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canada. About 13,000 British Columbians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2007. The good news is that almost all skin cancers are preventable.
Here are some basic facts you should know along with some simple steps you can take to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun.
Who is at risk of skin cancer? Are certain people more susceptible?
- Anyone repeatedly exposed to the sun – who works or plays outside – is at risk. Blonde, red-headed and fair-skinned people are most susceptible.
- People with existing sun damage – freckles, moles and previous sunburns – are at highest risk. The more sun damage a person’s skin receives over time, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer.
- Incidence rises among people in their twenties and peaks in their fifties.
- One serious sunburn before the age of 18 can dramatically increase the risk of skin cancer later in life.
How does sunlight damage the skin?
Sunlight has several kinds of harmful rays but it is the ultraviolet (UV) rays that are of most concern on the earth’s surface. There are two types of UV rays:
- UV-A is a cause of photoaging (sagging) and contributes to skin cancer risk.
- UV-B rays cause sunburn skin cancer and photoaging of the skin (mottling, wrinkling).
These rays directly damage the DNA of the skin and blood cells near the skin’s surface, which is passed on to newly-produced skin cells and accumulate with every sunburn or overexposure. UV overexposure also suppresses the body’s immune system.
It is easy to enjoy a healthy outdoor lifestyle and at the same time protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. Here are some healthy tips to live by:
- Reduce sun exposure between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and seek the shade.
- Use sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher. Be sure your sunscreen blocks both UV-A and UV-B.
- Waterproof sunscreens work best. Apply at least twice a day.
- Cover up with clothing, including a board-brimmed hat and 100% UV blocking sunglasses.
- Avoid tanning booths! There is no such thing as a preventative tan. Tanning to prevent sunburn is like smoking to prevent lung cancer. And it causes wrinkles!
- Keep newborns under the age of one year out of the sun.
- Beware of cloudy days since UV rays can penetrate light cloud cover, fog and haze. Reflective surfaces like sand, snow and concrete can also reflect up to 85% of the sun’s damaging rays.
- Get suspicious-looking moles checked by your doctor right away. Don’t wait. Early diagnosis of skin cancer saves lives!
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