With spring upon us (mostly), are you heading outside? Spending long days taking in the sun and warmth after a miserable winter? Not to rain on your parade, but once you’re outside, what are you doing to protect your skin from your new spring sun exposure? We know that UV rays from the sun are a primary cause of skin cancer, and we also know that harmful UV rays are strongest during the late spring and early summer. So, as we approach peak harmful UV ray season, how much do you know about your risk for skin cancer, and what are you doing to protect yourself and your loved ones?

First, a little data to put the problem in perspective. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States and it is expected that up to 5 million cases will be diagnosed in 2024. The overwhelming majority of these cases will be basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, both of which are treatable and even preventable with the right kind of skin protection. Yet the number of these non-melanoma skin cancers (melanoma is the more deadly and difficult to treat skin cancer) is rising (as are melanoma cases) and because these 2 types of skin cancer are more common, they actually account for more deaths worldwide than melanoma. Why is this happening? Certainly, an increase in skin cancer is inevitable with an aging population, along with more harmful UV rays due to ozone depletion. There’s also a phenomenon called the “sunscreen paradox,” which examines the reason that skin cancer rates are rising even though more of us are using sunscreen. Perhaps we are allowing sunscreen use to give us permission for more sun exposure- for which we are in fact not adequately protected, because we’re not using sufficient sunscreen or other types of protection, such as sun avoidance, or protective clothing and hats. For good advice on how to best use sunscreen, roll up your sleeve and click here. And in addition to your face and body, don’t forget to apply UV ray protection to your lips. To access a new, authoritative online resource regarding non-melanoma skin cancers, click here.

Melanoma cases are rising as well, and this is a worrisome development, given its higher lethality. It’s estimated that each year 100,000 people in the US are diagnosed with melanoma and that 8000 people die each year from the disease. We know from recent research that aging skin might make you more susceptible to contracting melanoma. While treatment options for melanoma have improved in recent years, it’s still a cancer that’s more likely to metastasize than other skin cancers and it may be harder to detect if it’s gone deep into your skin rather than appeared as a mole on the surface. Early detection and treatment are your best chances for a successful outcome with melanoma. This means you need to know what various skin cancers look like and how to perform a regular self-exam to make sure you catch any evidence of cancer early. For photos of the different types of skin cancer you may discover on your body, grab a magnifying glass and look here. And to get a baseline of your body moles and conduct a valuable self-exam for skin cancer, strip down, grab a mirror, and click here.