Skin cancer is the most common diagnosed form of cancer in the United States with over one million new cases each year. With early detection and intervention on your behalf most skin cancers are curable. Here are some tips to avoiding increased risk for skin cancer.
Tip #1: Sunscreen usage. UV rays penetrate clouds and fog so even on a cloudy day sunscreen must be used. It usage is imperative for those out of doors for extended periods or out during the sun’s strongest hours of eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon. The UV rays also are out in winter, not just the summer days so wearing sunscreen on a daily basis followed up by touch-up applications throughout the day will deter damage from the ultra-violet rays. Skin tone and color does not make a difference when it comes to the effects from the sun and sunscreen should be used by everyone.
Tip #2: Tanning Beds are not okay. While many people choose to use tanning beds in order to achieve a tanned skin look, we are damaging the skin whether it comes from artificial or natural means. Allowing the skin to be tanned or burned through any means is damaging it and increases the risk towards skin cancers. Why would anyone want to do that when there are advances in technology that allow for the appearance of tanned skin without damaging the skin? There are a few options to choose from in doing this. There are self-tanning sprays or lotions that can be applied and the appearance of streaking is not likely with the products available now. Also, for a more professional look, most salons and spas now offer tanning treatments and spray-tan booths. These methods may require more up-keep, such as re-applying the tanner product each week, but will give a smooth skin tone and coloration while not damaging the skin and not resulting in possible skin cancer.
Tip #3: Examine the Skin Regularly. To diagnose skin cancer early is the best step to curing the cancer if it does occur and the best way to do that is to look your skin over each month. Skin cancer effects men and women with any skin type, so everyone should look for signs of possible cancers on the skin. Signs of possible cancer may include growths on the skin that bleed, moles that change in color and shape or a mole that is large in size and/or is not symmetrical in shape. Of course any questionable findings found through a self exam should be addressed by contacting and being checked out by one’s physician for further study.
Tip #4: Healthy Eating. Antioxidant-rich foods are recommended for possible prevention of all cancers, including skin cancers. It is the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables that we ingest into our body that are considered to fight free radicals within the body. These free radicals in the body are suspected to be the culprits in the forming of disease in the body. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and spices, all contain high antioxidant levels and some like red kidney beans, blueberries, pinto beans and cranberries are the highest. Also recommended is a multi-vitamin taken every day that has a rich supply of Vitamin C and E in it. Vitamin C and E are considered to help lower the risks associated with UV ray exposure.
Tip # 5: Limiting Alcohol and Tobacco. Eating healthy is parallel to the use of alcohol and tobacco in the body. Reducing or eliminating these items from our body will show long-term health for the better including reducing the risk of skin cancers. Research has shown that there is a connection between use of alcohol with malignant melanoma and also smokers are more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma than non-smokers by as much as three times more.
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