The warm sunny days this week gave us an early glimpse of summer. Suddenly, everywhere I looked I saw children, college students and adults in shorts and sleeveless shirts, working and playing in the sun.
But, as welcoming as these first summery days have been, they are the beginning of problems for some. Our sun-worshipping culture, combined with the popularity of sunny vacation spots, has led to near-epidemic proportions of skin cancer in America.
According to the Harvard Health Letter, “the bronzed youth of the baby boom, now reaching middle age, are the vanguard of the melanoma plague.” According to medical reports, patients under age 40 were rarely treated for skin cancer two or three decades ago. Today, individuals in their 20’s are commonly diagnosed with skin cancer.
Skin cancer is preventable and curable in most cases. The American Cancer Society reports that nearly 5 million people are treated for skin cancer each year. Up to 90 percent of skin cancers could be prevented by protection from the sun’s rays. Because skin cancer is visible, it often can be detected soon after it begins. Rates of cure are high when the cancer is diagnosed and treated in its early stages.
Skin damage from the sun is cumulative, building up over the years. Long periods of daily sun exposure, even if the skin does not burn, add to the risk of skin cancer. The longer the exposure, the higher the risk, and sun exposure during childhood and adolescence plays a major role in the development of skin cancer later in life.
If avoiding overexposure to the sun is the primary skin cancer prevention strategy, staying out of the sun will eliminate the risk. But who wants to stay indoors all day? The sun’s warmth and light are relaxing and uplifting and sun exposure triggers the development of Vitamin D in our skin. But the benefits come with a dangerous tradeoff. Each year more than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the US, and most of the skin damage we associate with aging – wrinkles, sagging, leathering, and discoloration – is sun-related. So, whenever you venture out in the sun, be smart about it.
To enjoy what the sun has to offer without risking your health, follow these simple rules:
• Seek the shade , especially between 10 AM and 4 PM, when the sun’s rays are usually strongest.
• Do not burn. Even a single sunburn increases your risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, while suffering five or more sunburns doubles your lifetime risk. Avoid spending long periods in the sun, and when you see or feel your skin redden, take cover.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning beds. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a tan is never safe, whether you acquire it on the beach or in a salon.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Clothing can be the most effective form of sun protection for your skin, but don’t forget to protect eyes from sun damage, too, to prevent serious conditions such as cataracts and melanoma of the eye and eyelid.
• Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day, year-round, in every kind of weather. Even on overcast days, 70-80 percent of ultraviolet radiation travels through clouds. Sunlight reflects off snow, ice, sand and water, intensifying damaging effects by up to 80 percent. At high altitudes, for example when you’re hiking or skiing in the mountains, the thinner atmosphere filters out less of the sun’s rays.
• Keep newborns out of the sun. An infant’s skin possesses little melanin, the natural pigment that provides some sun protection. Therefore, babies are especially susceptible to the sun’s damaging effects.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every month. Look for changes of any kind that might indicate skin cancer.
• See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.
If you fry in the sun now, you will likely pay later. Follow these tips and you can enjoy yourself safely outdoors, minimizing the sun’s dangers while maximizing your health.
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.