One way to avoid getting skin cancer is to lather on the sunscreen when you are headed outdoors. According to the American Cancer Society, you should use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. They also recommend that you reapply the sunscreen every two hours.

Today there are many types of sunscreen in the forms of creams, oils, and now convenient sprays. So lather up and protect your skin.

It is also important to try and avoid the peak hours of the sun. The harmful UV rays of the sun are strongest during the peak hours of 10am and 4pm. This is when the sun is directly overhead. UV rays have nothing to do with the heat or the brightness of the sun but rather with the angle of the sun’s rays. So, be careful not to over do during those peak hours.

Wearing protective clothing and a hat can help to protect your skin for the sun. Many people don’t think about their scalp when they put on sunscreen unless they are balding. But, just because there is hair on your head doesn’t mean your scalp is fully protected. This is especially true or blonde or gray haired people, fair skin people, and people with thinning hair. So, wear a hat and protect your head.

Another important tip to help protect you from sun damage is to wear sunglasses. This will not only protect the delicate tissue around and underneath the eyes from getting burnt which could lead to skin cancer, but it will also keep you from getting unwanted wrinkles and fine lines caused from squinting.

Everyone loves to go out in the sun, but when they do they must remember to play it safe. A little precaution now can save you a ton of sorrow later on. So, follow these tips to avoid skin cancer and have fun in the sun.

Our top of the line Dermatologist Augusta center provides professional treatment for a variety of skin conditions. If you are looking for an Augusta Dermatologist you know you can trust, then look no further. We strive to give our clients the best of treatment avaliable. Please visit our website for more information on how we can help you.

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Melanoma develops in melanocyte cells. These cells actually create melanin or the skin pigmentation that gives our body its hue. When you are exposed to the UV rays of the sun, your skin produces melanin in an attempt to protect the skin and keep it from burning. This ends up damaging the DNA skin cells. However, the sun is not the only thing that emits harmful UV rays. Tanning booths, beds and lamps do also. That means that indoor tanning can be harmful as well.

When your skin is exposed repeatedly to harmful UV rays, there is a risk for skin cancer. However, with some people the risk is even greater. People who have many moles are at a higher risk because certain moles called dysplastic nevi has the potential of turning into melanoma.

Caucasians are 20 more times likely to have skin cancer than African Americans are. This is due to the skin pigmentation. Other risk factors to developing melanoma include -family history, certain medicines, genetics and even gender.

Melanoma is a serious skin condition. It can be treated and contained if caught in the early stages. However, if left undiagnosed it can be life threatening. There are many medicines and treatments for melanoma but none is as effective as early diagnosis. If you have a spot on your skin that you are unsure about, it is extremely important to be checked by a dermatologist. Don’t wait. Get in and get checked out. It could save your life.

Our top of the line Dermatologist Augusta center provides professional treatment for a variety of skin conditions. If you are looking for an Augusta Dermatologist you know you can trust, then look no further. We strive to give our clients the best of treatment avaliable. Please visit our website for more information on how we can help you.

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Last July, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization (WHO), added tanning beds to its Group 1 list, meaning the use of tanning beds is considered a dangerous carcinogen for humans. Other examples of Group 1 carcinogens include radon and tobacco smoke.

“Our culture changed in the 1920s, with the popularity of convertible cars and Coco Chanel’s bathing attire that no longer covered the whole person. Suddenly, it wasn’t fashionable to have a creamy white complexion,” said Karrie Fairbrother of Helena. A nurse educator who travels around the state focusing on skin cancer prevention and early detection, Fairbrother is the former president of the Dermatology Nurse’s Association.

“I challenge young kids,” Fairbrother said, to be the changing force in their families. Just as seatbelts have saved lives, she continued, “If we can change the way society views tanning, we will save lives.”

During the 2009 Montana Legislative Session, Fairbrother worked along with Sen. Lynda Moss from Billings to start a bill that would restrict the use of tanning beds by minors. They were unsuccessful.

“We are not trying to tell adults what to do. Adults have the ability to make their own decisions. But we don’t let children harm themselves. You wouldn’t hand them a cigarette, so why send them to a tanning bed? Also with minors, their cells are dividing and growing, so we feel that they have a more substantial risk,” Fairbrother said.

Lori Carey of Helena has already fought two cases of melanoma in her 38 years. The first was in 1997, shortly after her wedding.

“I had a large, red, triangular-shaped mole on the outside-bottom of my right breast. It was not a place that had seen the sun too many times, but I had used tanning beds off and on throughout high school and college, and of course I didn’t wear any clothing in those. I had multiple blistering sunburns in my childhood,” Carey said.

Carey’s dermatologist hasn’t said what for sure caused her melanoma. But when Carey told her all the sun and indoor sun exposure she had growing up, she was shocked.

“I always wanted to look my best, especially for prom, spring break, my wedding and other special occasions,” she said.

“If I had it to do over, I would exercise more and tan less. If you’re fit, you can get away with being pasty. I would never even think about a tanning bed. Melanoma is deadly. It’s just not worth the risk,” Carey said.

While some tanning bed users tan so they won’t burn in the future, a good tan is equivalent to a sunscreen with an SPF of 2 to 4, according to the National Cancer Institute. A tan from a tanning bed also does not always increase Vitamin D synthesis because the UV component you receive from indoor tanning is predominantly UVA, which does not increase Vitamin D levels like UVB.

However, tanning salon owners and users say that a sunburn is to blame, whether or not it is from a tanning bed or from the sun. Donnie Hedlind, owner of Club Sun in Kalispell stresses that there is no proof that tanning beds themselves cause or do not cause skin cancer.

“Overexposure causes skin cancer. Unlike the sun, in a tanning booth your exposure is regulated.” Hedlind said. “I don’t have any control over how much you go out in the sun and burn your skin. But when you come into my salon, I have a heck of a lot control over how many minutes you are going to be exposed, and therefore I can keep overexposure from happening.”

For Fairbrother, educating the public about skin cancer prevention is more than part of her job. It has become her passion ever since her husband died of melanoma in 1989.

“The loss of human life is real,” Fairbrother said. “If you see something on your skin changing, go see a doctor right away. If found early skin cancer is 95 percent curable. If found late it is only 15 percent curable.”

— Jessica Gray is a freelance writer who lives in Great Falls with her husband and three elementary-school aged children. Her work has appeared in several regional publications.

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Too much exposure of ultraviolet can cause damage on our skin DNA which functions to maintain the health of the skin by controlling its growth. There are two kinds of UV, ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B. It was once believed that UVB is the one which causes the skin cancer. However, recent researches prove that both rays are responsible.

Several other causes of skin cancer are high x-ray exposure, immune system suppression, arsenic contact, and genetics. The types of people which more likely to develop skin cancer are the ones with blond hair, fair skin, green eyes, and those albinos. They usually have skin which is easily burnt or shows freckles. However, ultraviolet ray is still the biggest cause in developing skin cancer. Therefore, do not let your skin exposed to the sun in a long time and keep your head covered from the midday sun.

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