May is skin cancer awareness month! Did you know that by the age of 70, skin cancer affects every one in five Americans? While this metric may sound alarming- the slew of social media posts and misinformation don’t help- there are practical steps you can take to help protect your skin and reduce your risk.
The Facts
Living in central Texas alone increases your risk of UV exposure, and we recommend seeing a licensed skin care professional to diagnose any skin concern, and to schedule a yearly skin exam. When it comes to prevention, knowledge is power. Here is a list of risk factors that may put you at a higher risk for developing skin cancer:
- Excessive and/or unprotected exposure to ultraviolet light, including natural sunlight, sun lamps and tanning booths
- Having fair skin that burns easily
- Having red or blonde hair, or having blue, green or gray eyes
- Working with coal tar, pitch creosote, arsenic compounds or radium
- A family history of skin cancer
- Having had even one sunburn as a child
- Having an abnormal moles or a large amount of moles on the body (more than 50 for those under age 20; more than 100 for adults)
The Toolkit
For those with an increased risk of skin cancer, it is recommended to follow the ABCD’s of self-examination:
- A (Asymmetry) – one half of a mole or spot does not match the other half
- B (Border) – the outside edge is irregular, ragged or scalloped, not smooth
- C (Color) – the color of the mole is not the same all over
- D (Diameter) – the area is larger than an eraser on the end of a pencil (6 mm)
Common ways to reduce your chances of developing skin cancer include doing things like staying in the shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (when the sun is strongest), using broad-spectrum sunscreen year round and avoiding sun lamps/tanning beds.
Here are nine practical ways you can prevent skin cancer before it begins:
- Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM
- Don’t get sunburned.
- Avoid tanning, and never use UV tanning beds.
- Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
- Keep newborns out of the sun. Use sunscreen on babies over the age of six months.
- Use a broad-spectrum (UVA/ UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or higher.
- Apply 1 ounce of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating.
- Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
- See a dermatologist at least once a year for a professional skin exam.
We also recommend daily SPF usage, regardless of the weather forecast. Some of our favorite SPF products include built in tinted moisturizer, so that your skin can stay safe while glowing! You can check them out on our shop page here.
