Summer Health Issues: Skin Cancer
Although skin cancer- the abnormal growth of skin cells- can be diagnosed at any time of the year, summer is the one season out of every year where the risk factors go up instantly. Lounging at the beach, reading a book by the pool, or hiking and biking along the trails are all great ways to spend some of the best days outdoors. However, if you leave the SPF off, you’re leaving yourself open to some very major risks. There are 3 types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. All three occur due to the ultraviolet radiation that hits the skin. While skin cancer is treatable, it should be treated with the same amount of concern as any other cancer would since it is still quite dangerous and does require extensive treatment. If you want to avoid skin cancer and all of the treatments that go along with it, there are some keys to prevention that should be paid attention to:
- Avoiding the sun in the middle of the day, when it’s the strongest
- Continuing to wear SPF, year round
- Wear clothing that can block the sun- hats and sunglasses are key here
- Avoid tanning salons
- Regularly check your skin for changes, use the ABCDs:
A – Asymmetry – irregular shape, one side different from the other
B – Border – edges are irregular or ragged
C – Color – color changes within the same mole
D – Dimension – larger than pencil’s eraser
