Be Sun Smart. Protect Your Skin.

Skin cancer the most common of all cancers and each year over one million Americans will learn they have skin cancer. Skin cancer is a serious disease that can affect anyone. It is usually caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Therefore, nearly all skin cancers can be prevented by limiting unprotected exposure to the sun. Below are sun safety tips to help you and your family this summer and every season.

Apply Sunscreen
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. This will block most of the sun’s harmful rays. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen about 30 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
Cover Up 
Wear protective clothing when out in the sun. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you can not see through when held up to light. Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck, and ears. A baseball cap will leave your ears and neck exposed, so don’t forget to use sunscreen.
Seek Shade
The UV rays from the sun are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Try to avoid the sun during these times by staying indoors or finding a shaded area.
Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses protect your eyes and the skin around them from the harmful rays of the sun. Look for sunglasses with 99 – 100% UV absorption.
Avoid Tanning Booths and Sun Lamps
Tanning booths and sun lamps are not safe, and they may cause skin cancer. Getting a “base tan” before going to the beach provides very little protection and may actually increase your chance of getting a burn because you are more likely to stay in the sun longer without properly protecting your skin. 

Sun safety is not only for days when you are going to the beach or the pool. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is or what you and your family are doing. If you are outside, then your skin needs to be protected. Follow these sun safety tips year round, even on cloudy and overcast days.

Check the UV index in your area by visiting the Environmental Protection Agency's website. The UV index is a scale from 0-11+ indicates the amount of UV radiation reaching the earth's surface during an hour around noon.

Skin Cancer Information

• Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun’s damaging effects begin in childhood. It is important to protect children from the sun because 80 percent of a person’s lifetime exposure to the sun happens before age 18.
• Skin cancer usually appears on the areas exposed to the sun such as, the neck, face, hands, and arms.
• Anyone can get skin cancer. However, the people with the highest risk are those who have fair skin and light colored eyes or relatives with skin cancer. People who spend a lot of time in the sun are more likely to get skin cancer.
• Skin cancer is rare among African-Americans and others with dark skin, but it does happen.
• You can spot skin cancer in its early stages. It can begin as a change on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn’t heal. The cancer may start as a small, smooth, shiny, pale, or waxy lump. Skin cancer can also start as a firm red lump or a flat, red spot that is rough, dry, or scaly. If you are suspicious of a change in your skin, you should call your doctor or health care provider.

Additional Resources
For more detailed sun safety tips or for a guide to examine your skin for cancer, visit the American Cancer Society webpage.

Cancer Information Service (1-800-4CANCER)

Information on this page was summarized from:
American Cancer Society
Ohio Department of Health
Mid South Cancer Information Service