May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month.  Recent data has shown that melanoma is the number one cancer in young, white American women. Melanoma is rising rapidly in New England and in particular in the South Shore area.  

South Shore Skin Center and Spa's physicians remind adults and children to follow these important measures in the prevention of skin cancer:

• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
• Avoid sunlamps and tanning beds.
• Use ample amounts of sunscreen or sunblock with an SPF of 30 or higher every day, even if it is cloudy.
• Wear protective clothing and large framed or wrap-around sunglasses to protect the eye area.
• Have your skin checked by a dermatologist regularly.
• Note any moles, sun spots or other spots on the skin that have changed. Have them checked by a physician as soon as possible.

UV damage can happen at any age, but it begins to occur during childhood. The more frequent the exposure to Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays without protection, the greater the risk of developing melanoma or skin cancer as an adult.  

It cannot be stressed enough - the way to minimize melanoma mortality is to protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays, to carefully perform monthly self-skin examinations and to obtain a skin cancer screening on an annual basis.