Top 10 Tips for Reducing Your Risk of Skin Cancer
Cancer is one of the scariest words when it comes to the topic of health. Whether from afar or close to home; most adults have seen the destructive effects of cancer. While the general discussion tends to center on cancers of internal organs, it rarely centers on getting the disease on the largest organ in the human body; skin. Amazingly, skin cancer comprises almost half of all cancer diagnoses every year. Like so many other aspects of your health, the risk of skin cancer can be reduced by following some basic guidelines. Here are ten tips you can follow to reduce your risk of skin cancer:
- Stay out of the sun. The time period of 11am-3pm has been a long-standing guideline for when to stay out of the sun as the UV rays are typically at their strongest. If you must be out in the sun you can reduce risk by finding shade and following the other tips. Myth: If you don’t burn you aren’t at risk. Sunburn can be an indicator of increased skin cancer risk, but it’s not a prerequisite! Don’t let yourself fall into an, “it can’t happen to me” line of thinking.
- Keep ‘fake baking’ off of the menu. Indoor tanning is becoming increasingly linked with melanoma in scientific studies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has also ranked tanning beds as “carcinogenic to humans”. This is the highest level of cancer risk. According to this declaration, tanning beds share the same rating as arsenic and gamma rays. If you feel the need for a bronze glow you should opt for a spray tan. The growing popularity of spray tans has led to higher quality and gradually lower pricing.
- Lather it on. Wear sunscreen with at least 15 SPF. Obviously the higher you go in SPF, the better protection you will have. You should apply sunscreen anytime you expect to spend some time outdoors, particularly from late spring through mid-summer. Also remember, you can get harmful rays even on a cloudy day so don’t let a hidden sun fool you!
- Do it right! Sunscreen takes awhile to start working so it should be applied 30 minutes prior to exposure. Remember, even waterproof sunscreens need to be reapplied. Reapply often for maximum protection. Critical: Sunscreen has a shelf life so make certain that you abide by the expiration date.
- Accessorize. Style and substance can work together if you shop smart. Protective gear such as sunglasses and hats are great ways to block out harmful rays from some of the most cancer-prone parts of your skin. Sunglasses with a UV rating of 99% will do a great job for your eyes and the delicate skin that surrounds them. Hats with wide brims that shade your forehead and cover your ears make great shields from the midday sun.
- Cover up! Sure, when it’s 90 degrees and more humid than a Bollywood set, the last thing you are thinking about is layering. However, other than staying indoors, the best thing to do for protection from the sun is to wear loose, dark, long sleeve clothing with a tight knit. There are even some clothing manufacturers who market clothing made with high tech sun-protective fabrics.
- Do your laundry. You can increase the protective qualities of your clothing by a large percentage by using a laundry additive called Tinosorb. There are a few products currently on the market and each is quite inexpensive.
- Put your face on. Top make-up lines have begun to include SPF protection in their formulas. Choose beauty products that will double with protection. SPF laced lip balm is a must have in the summer for men, women and children of all ages.
- Teach good skin care habits to your children. Melanoma is not a disease that simply appears late in life. The effects of our life starting in childhood all add up to the risk factors of skin cancer. Create a healthy self-image sans tan. Teach the importance of protection and try to keep them indoors during peak UV hours.
- Know your moles! Learn them and love them. Do monthly examinations of your moles using the ABCDE system. Asymmetry, border irregular, color irregular, diameter greater than 6 mm. and evolving moles are appearances that warrant a chat with your doctor. If you know what is where and how it looks, you are more apt to catch a worrisome change early on. The fortunate thing about skin cancer is that when caught early, the disease is highly treatable.
This is a guest post from Breana Orland. She writes for Medical Coding Certification website where you can find information on a career in medical billing industry. If you wish to submit your guest post to Cytogenetics Cancer Research blog, you may follow this guideline.
Tags: skin cancer top 10 tips
I never knew doing laundry could help you prevent the risk of getting cancer. I need to go out and get myself one of these Tinosorb.
Timely tips since Summer is here – applying the right sunscreen at the right timing. Some of us may forget to apply it half an hour ahead or re-apply it after sometimes. Well done on bringing up the awareness Breana. (ever knew about the laundry tip either)
@wchingya
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Applying SPF30+ broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen liberally to clean dry skin, at least twenty minutes before being exposed to the sun, and reapply at least every two hours when outdoors. This will help a lot to reduce risks of skin cancer.
This is a very nice and informative post! Glad to know about Tinosorb, I would definitely find some here in our market. I was told by a friend before that even indoors, we could still get skin cancer on a hot sunny day. Is this true, or is she just messing with me?
Great advice in this post. I am a lifeguard and am constantly in the sun all day. Educating people about the risks of skin cancer and causes is a great way for people to change their habits. Thanks for the post!
- Alex
These are great tips, easy to follow and spelled out clearly. In my line of work I see the effects of sun damage every day, and it’s unfortunate that people don’t think bad things can happen. It’s entirely possible to enjoy the sun, but moderation and planning are essential. Thanks for mentioning tanning beds, very dangerous IMO.
Prevention is very important, thanks for all the tips!
Henri Labelle, B.Sc.
This type of Skin Cancer is called Basal cell Carcinoma…the tips you discussed is to prevent it from Basal cell carcinoma type cancer. indeed there are different types of Skin Cancer which have different causes of it…anyways more important is that, to share knowledge to prevent from Skin Cancer….
Skin cancer is divided into two groups: non-melanoma and melanoma. The type of skin cancer symptoms discussed here are those of non-melanoma skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Non-melanomas are more common and less dangerous than melanoma. In fact over 1,000,000 people are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer each year.
Too much exposure in sun can cause us cancer, why? because as we all know sun has a big radiation supply and it is one thing why people has a cancer.
Hi Kok,
This is such an informative tips regarding skin cancer. I believe prevention is still better than cure. After all cancer is difficult to cure. The only remedy is to prevent it.
Cancer is the most dangerous disease that exists here in earth any type of it can cause you death. Skin cancer is one of them and this is a serious matter. Only thing we can do is to prevent it. “Prevention is the best cure”. I must say I am glad you remind your readers how to prevent it.
A big thanks to you for shearing great tips with us, now a days skin cancer is increasing and for reducing risk of skin cancer, very nice tips are provided by you, i like your blog and i will suggest my friends to go through it once.
Thanks for the tips—all of them are very practical. I like a tan but I don’t want skin cancer! Your last point (#10) is important; people should see a doctor to get their moles checked out if they aren’t sure.
Some great tips for staying safer in the sun. Don’t forget to put on sunblock when driving too – even though you may be inside the car, at certain times of day the sun can be on your face for extended periods!