Despite the recent cold snap on the East coast, it really is Spring, Memorial Day is but a week away, and summer is close on its heels. The season for fun in the sun. The season we all need to be reminded to soak up vitamin D and those warm rays with care.
May is Melanoma Awareness Month, aptly timed to coincide with the days of increased exposure to the harmful effects of too much sun. A few tips to reduce your risk for this deadly form of skin cancer:
1. Protect your skin daily. Routinely apply and reapply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Stay out of the sun from 10 am to 2 pm when its rays are the strongest. Wear protective clothing, especially brimmed hats.
2. Avoid indoor tanning beds. Let Nature do its thing naturally; don’t try to speed up the process.
3. Know your personal risk for skin cancer. If you had a blistered sunburn as a child or have fair skin, freckles, light hair color, an unusual or large number of moles, or a family history of skin cancer, up your protective actions.
4. Always avoid getting a sunburn.
5. Make skin exams part of your hygiene/beauty routine. If you see a lesion with any of the following, consult a dermatologist ASAP:
• Assymetry—irregular, unevenly shaped
• Jagged or blurry-edged border
• Multicolored (tan, dark brown, black, pink/red, blue, or white)
• 6 mm or larger diameter (size of the head of a pencil eraser)
• Any lesion that has changed since the last time you checked it.
Always err on the side of caution. Have anything suspicious examined. Healthy skin is a thing of beauty. Tanned cancerous growths, not so much.
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