PREVENTION

Most skin cancers are preventable

To protect yourself, follow these tips:

Avoid the sun during the middle of the day

The sun's rays are strongest between 10am and 4pm. Schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day, even in winter or when the sky is cloudy. You absorb UV radiation year-round, and clouds offer little protection from damaging rays. Sun exposure accumulated over time may also cause skin cancer.

Wear sunscreen year-round

Sunscreens play a major role in an overall sun protection program. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen on all exposed skin, and reapply every two hours — or more often if swimming or perspiring.

Wear protective clothing

Cover skin with dark, tightly woven clothing that covers your arms and legs, and a broad-brimmed hat, which provides more protection than a baseball cap or visor does. Don't forget sunglasses. Look for those that block both UVA and UVB rays.

Avoid tanning beds

Lights used in tanning beds emit UV rays and can increase your risk of skin cancer from your first use.

Be aware of sun-sensitizing medications

Some common prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including antibiotics, can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of any medications you take. If they increase your sensitivity to sunlight, take extra precautions to protect your skin.

Check your skin regularly and report changes to your doctor

Examine your skin often for new skin growths or changes in existing moles, freckles, bumps and birthmarks. Check your face, neck, ears and scalp. Examine your chest and trunk, and the tops and undersides of your arms and hands. Examine both the front and back of your legs, and your feet, including the soles and the spaces between your toes.

What SPF Factor should I use?

The kind of sunscreen you use may vary depending on the type of outdoor exposure you are expecting.

For incidental sun exposure, when you are outside for minutes at a time, a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, which filters out about 93 percent of UV radiation, is usually sufficient. Your sunscreen should have broad spectrum protection, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB ranges of the light spectrum.

For extended, intense exposure, use a broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. SPF 30 filters out up to 97 percent of the sun’s UV radiation; SPF 50 filters out up to 98 percent.

Did you know?

Getting sunburn once every two years can triple the chances of developing skin cancer.