Melanoma: A Killer All Year Round

Though the weather is beginning to take a turn for the chillier in many places, the dangers of the sun do not take a turn for the better. Ultraviolet (UV) rays have the capability to penetrate up to a foot below the water’s surface and through cloud cover. Water, sand and snow can even reflect the rays, magnifying the amount of UV that hits the skin, leaving serious damage on a cellular level.

Melanoma: A Killer All Year Round

Unfortunately, all of that UV exposure adds up, and the vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun. As a result, an individual’s risk for melanoma doubles if he/she has had more than five sunburns within his/her lifetime. If that isn’t scary enough, one person dies of melanoma every hour (every 52 minutes).

Let this sink in: Melanoma may only account for less than one percent of skin cancer cases, but it accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths.

As disturbing as this may be, there are ways you can keep yourself safe from the harmful destruction of UV light throughout the seasons:

• Avoid the sun at its brightest, which is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Do not tan indoors or outdoors

• Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher every day

• For prolonged outdoor exposure, use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses

• Wear long sleeves and pants

  

In addition to these preventive measures, it is important to get screened. The survival rate for melanoma improves greatly the earlier it’s detected with a 95 percent cure rate when caught and treated in its earliest stages.

While you should always keep track of any and all changes in your skin year-round, you can completely remove the doubt with the MoleSafe Skin Surveillance Program…

MoleSafe’s exclusive Skin Surveillance Program (SSP) produces high-resolution diagnostic images, creating an active skin profile through a unique process. The profile is monitored over time to detect any changes in the skin for fast, effective treatment of skin cancer, including melanoma. Just an hour of your time with the SSP can save you from becoming a victim of melanoma.

Facts provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation®