One of the most preventable cancers is that of the skin. There are ways to prevent skin cancer and enjoy being outside. By taking care of your skin and checking it often for suspicious growths you should have no trouble from the effects of skin cancer.Why is it important to know the signs of skin cancer? It is important to know them because once you know the skin cancer warning signs, you can save yourself from getting worse. And if you do not have the signs, you should learn how to prevent it. We all know that prevention is better than cure.
The signs:
- You see a sore or spot on your skin for more than a month straight without healing
- You see a spot or experience a sore that itches, hurt, scab, crust or bleeding more than a month
- You see or experience an area of the skin that ulcerates or broke down without any obvious cause and does not heal in a month
- You see a shiny pink or red lump on your face, scalp, ears, hands, shoulders or back
- You see pink lumps that may bleed easily and ulcerate. It is often found on the face, neck and limps
Preventive:
- Apply Sunscreen. You should make sure to be wearing at least SPF 30 when in the sun, or stronger sunscreen depending on how easily you burn. Also, be sure to reapply after swimming, or if you are sweating heavily.
- Wear protective clothing. Light clothing will not give ample protection from the sun as ultraviolet radiation can penetrate light material. Clothing should be tightly woven.
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. The sun can also damage your eyes causing cataracts to form. The best types of sunglasses are those which offer 100% UV protection, wrap around your eyes from side to side and have polarized lenses.
- Dont Use Sunbeds. Sunbeds use concentrated UV rays so even though a session on a sunbed is relatively short it is potentially more dangerous than staying out in the sun for a long time.
- Drinks a lot of water. Please drink a lot of water especially when you are out in the sun for a long time. The effects of ultraviolet radiation are not only felt by your skin and your eyes but also by your immune system.
