Skin Cancer Prevention

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• QHow can I prevent skin cancer?

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  A Baptist Health South Florida answered

  You can help prevent skin cancer and protect your skin from sun damage and premature aging by using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing. Here are a few tips:

  • Hit the shade. Limit your exposure to the sun, especially from 10 a.m. to  4 p.m., even on cloudy days.
  • Dress for safety. Wear protective clothing, including a wide-brimmed hat that shades the head, face, neck and ears. Tightly woven clothing also can offer protection.
  • Apply sunscreen. When outdoors, adults and children should wear sunscreen and reapply it every two hours.
  • Study labels. Sunscreens have a sun protection factor (SPF) that rates how effectively the product blocks out ultraviolet rays and protects against sunburns. Choose one with a rating of at least 30. On the bottle label, look for the phrases “broad spectrum protection” and “water resistant.”

  Additional steps to prevent skin cancer include checking your skin routinely and reporting any changes to your dermatologist, especially a new growth; changes in the size or color of a mole, growth or spot; or a sore that does not heal. Ask your dermatologist how often you should have a skin cancer screening, and follow the doctor’s orders.

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• QHow can I protect myself from the sun to reduce my risk of skin cancer?

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  A Aurora Health Care answered

  Following are tips to help protect you from the sun:

  • Use sun protection at all times. Even on overcast days, up to 60% of the sun's rays penetrate cloud cover, and 85% of the sun's rays reflect off of sand, water, and concrete.
  • Minimize sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the sun's strongest hours.
  • Omit outdoor activity when the ultraviolet (UV) index, published in many newspapers, is 7 or higher.
  • Sunscreen should be used for sun protection and not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

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• QWhat should my child wear in the sun to protect him from skin cancer?

  1 Answer

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  A Aurora Health Care answered

  Dress your child in tightly woven, light-colored fabrics, and in a hat with a brim. Everyone, including infants, should wear sunglasses that block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
• QHow often should I check my skin for cancer?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  You should check your skin for skin cancer at least once a year by taking the "birthday suit test." Learn more about this topic in this video with Dr. Oz.
  
  
  
  

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• QWhat is excessive sun exposure?

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  A Dr. Omar H. Llaguna, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  While moderate amounts of sun exposure are beneficial and play a significant role in vitamin D production, excessive exposure can be detrimental to your health. Excessive sun exposure can cause accelerated aging, sunburns and, of the greatest concern, skin cancer. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is most damaging under the following conditions:

  • From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Mid-spring through mid-fall.
  • At latitudes closer to the equator (for example, Florida).
  • Near water and other reflective surfaces.
  • Anytime you have daily exposure, especially when not using any protective measures.
• QCan sunscreen prevent skin cancer?

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  A Environmental Working Group (EWG) answered

  There’s no proof that sunscreens prevent most skin cancer. Rates of melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer -- have tripled over the past 35 years. Most scientists and public health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have found very little evidence that sunscreen prevents most types of skin cancer. Yet a good sunscreen can play role in preventing sunburns that are a major risk factor for melanoma -- provided you use it correctly. That means frequently applying it to all exposed areas of the body.
• QHow can I reduce my risk of developing cancer from sun exposure or tanning?

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  A LIVESTRONG answered

  To reduce the risk of cancer from ultraviolet (UV) rays, use sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B radiations with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 15. Wear protective clothing and a hat when you are outdoors. UV damage occurs most during the mid-morning to late afternoon hours. Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation.
• QWhy should I check my partner's skin for sun damage?

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  A RealAge answered

  While you're helping your significant other get slathered up with sunscreen this weekend, throw in a little bonus gift -- a skin check.
  
  You see, there's a benefit to being this close. Couples with tight-knit bonds are more likely to carefully check each other's skin for moles, bumps and other worrisome marks.
  
  Skin self-exams can catch melanoma and other skin cancers early, when treatment has the best shot. And in a study of melanoma survivors, couples in close relationships were about three times more likely to do the skin-check deed. A partner can help with hard-to-see spots, too -- like your back and your scalp.

• QHow can I avoid skin cancer?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  One person will die of skin cancer almost every hour, but is avoidable. Learn more about skin cancer in this video with Dr. Oz.
  
  
  
• QShould I examine my skin regularly to prevent skin cancer?

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  A Dr. Kelly Traver , Internal Medicine, answered

  Everyone should examine his or her own skin on a regular basis and be aware of any lesions on the skin. Any new or changing growth should be brought to the attention of a physician. In addition, anyone with increased risk factors should get a regular skin examination. This includes those who have had a previous skin cancer or significant sun exposure/sunburn history and those with a high mole count, atypical moles, or a family history of melanoma. If you can't remember anything else, remember this one key point: when it comes to taking care of your skin, the most important message is sunscreen, sunscreen, and sunscreen.

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