UNDER THE SUN OR IN TANNING BED, SKIN CANCER ALWAYS A DEADLY POSSIBILITY

The American Academy of Dermatology has released TV and print public-service announcements warning young people and their parents about the dangers of tanning—especially at self-tanning booths.

“No mother should have to visit her daughter in a cemetery,” says a heartbroken woman, staring blankly into the camera as she details her late daughter’s ritual of going to the tanning salon on her lunch hours. She started going as a teenager and died of melanoma three weeks shy of her 30^th birthday.

Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for people between 25 and 29 years of age, and the second-most-common form of cancer for people between 15 and 29. Research shows indoor tanning increases a person’s risk of melanoma by 75 percent.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and tanning beds also has been associated with non-melanoma skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Then there are the wrinkles and age spots.

The skin you’re born with is the only one you get, and the absolute worst thing you can do to your skin is to fry it in the sun, or a tanning salon. And the thing is, it’s not necessary, anymore.

Plenty of products on the market—from makeup bronzers to subtle tanning lotions— can provide a healthy, sun-kissed look. Is going to a tanning salon for a bronzed glow worth dying for?

[ HOW TO DECREASE RISK OF SKIN CANCER ]

Generously apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or more to all exposed skin. “Broad-spectrum” provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply approximately every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.
Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, where possible.
Seek shade when appropriate. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Protect children from sun exposure. Be sure to play in the shade, use protective clothing, and apply sunscreen.
Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand because they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chances of sunburn.
Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements.
Avoid tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you’ve been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.
Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing, or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.