Skin Cancer Awareness: Protect Your Skin
When you're having fun outdoors, it's easy to forget how important it is to protect yourself from the sun. Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays in as little as 15 minutes. Yet it can take up to 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure.
Tan? There's no other way to say it—tanned skin is damaged skin. Any change in the color of your skin after time outside—whether sunburn or suntan—indicates damage from UV rays. Using a tanning bed causes damage to your skin, just like the sun.
Types of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types, called basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, are highly curable, but treatment can be disfiguring. Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, can be deadly.
Risk Factors
Anyone can get skin cancer, but some things put you at higher risk, like having—
- A history of sunburns.
- Exposure to the sun through work and play.
- A lighter natural skin color.
- Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
- Blue or green eyes.
- Naturally blond or red hair.
- A personal history of skin cancer.
- A family history of melanoma.
How to Protect Yourself
- Seek shade, especially during midday hours.
- Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
- Put on sunscreen with broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection and sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher.
- Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
- Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. The UV rays from them can be stronger than UV rays from the summer sun at noon.
What CDC Is Doing About Skin Cancer
CDC works with national, state, and local partners to develop a coordinated approach to prevent future cases of skin cancer. Two recent publications describe promising strategies to prevent skin cancer specifically through reduction of indoor tanning. Co-authors included partners from the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Cancer Council Victoria, and academic centers.
CDC is using data from nationwide surveys to learn more about skin cancer risk behaviors among the U.S. population. Two recent studies used data from the National Health Interview Survey: one looked at indoor tanning among U.S. adults, and the other examined sun-protective behaviors and sunburn among adults under age 30. Data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used to examine sunscreen use
CDC is an advisory member of the National Council for Skin Cancer Prevention
CDC released the Sun Safety for America's Youth Toolkit to help local comprehensive cancer control programs engage schools and other education partners in sun safety efforts. Since the majority of sun exposure occurs during childhood and early adulthood, addressing sun safety for young people is an important cancer control objective.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario