Dangers of Sun Exposure

Excessive sun exposure can damage the skin and lead to fine-course wrinkles, discolored areas of the skin, spider veins, and skin cancers, including melanomas.

Types of Skin Cancer
The three most common types of skin cancer are:

• basal cell carcinoma (occurring in basal cells in the deepest layer of the skin);
• squamous cell carcinoma (occurring in the cells that form the surface of the skin); and
• melanoma (occurring in melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment).

Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common types of skin cancer and are both highly curable. Melanoma, the third most common type of skin cancer, is more dangerous. In 2007, over 58 thousand Americans were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin. That same year, 8461 people died from it. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skin Cancer Statistics)

Risk Factors
Certain people can be more susceptible to damaging their skin with excessive sun exposure. Some general risk factors are:

• having a lighter natural skin color;
• having a family history of skin cancer;
• having a personal history of skin cancer;
• exposure to the sun through work and play;
• the use of tanning beds;
• a history of sunburns early in life;
• skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun;
• blue or green eyes;
• blond or red hair; and
• certain types and a large number of moles.
  (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skin Cancer > Risk Factors)

People of all skin colors can get cancer from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Skin damage from exposure to the sun can occur in everyone.

Identification of Melanomas
To determine if a skin lesion is a melanoma or a non-cancerous mole, you can use the “ABCD” rule to help:

A = Asymmetry – if a line is drawn through the center of the mole, the halves would not match.
B = The Border of the mole is irregular.
C = The Color of the mole is uneven with shades of brown, black, tan, red, white, and/or blue.
D = Change in the Diameter of the mole.

If any mole is of concern, whether it meets the above criteria or not, you should seek the advice of your health care provider.

Prevention of Sun-Related Skin Damage
Sun-related skin damage can be prevented by avoiding excessive direct sun exposure, especially between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun’s rays are the strongest. If being in the sun is unavoidable, sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater should be applied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapplied every 2 hours. You should use sunscreen even when it is cloudy.

In addition to avoiding uninterrupted sun exposure during the midday hours, the following tips can help you enjoy the sun safely:

• Cover up when you can with long-sleeved shirts and pants;
• Wear a hat, but remember that baseball caps won’t protect your ears and neck from the sun; and
• Wear sunglasses that block 100% of both UVA and UVB rays.