The effects of UV exposure can lead to eye damage, immune system changes, wrinkles, cataracts, premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Take a look at your own skin and compare the areas such as the front of your hands and your face, to areas that are almost never exposed to solar radiation.

The difference in your skin tone, the texture and wrinkles etc, all that you can see are most likely to be caused by exposure to the sun.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and approximately 90% of all skin cancers can be traced to UV exposure. Skin cancer most often occurs on the face and almost never on the buttocks, inner thighs or under the arms.

The three main types of skin cancer are melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and it’s incidence is rapidly rising in women under 40.

Who is at risk?
Skin cancer can happen to anyone, however the risk is greatest for people who:

• burn easily
• have fair skin
• always burn before tanning
• have blonde, red, or light brown hair
• have blue, green, or gray eyes
• don’t tan easily, but spend a lot of time outdoors
• work indoors all week and try to play ‘catch up’ on the weekend
• have previously been treated for skin cancer or who have a family history of skin cancer
  (if you have a family history of melanoma, see your physician for regular skin exams)
• live in or take regular vacations to high altitudes
  (Ultraviolet exposure increases with altitude)

Warning signs of skin cancer
As with many cancers, early detection and treatment offers your best chance of remission and survival.
Here are some signs that may indicate skin cancer:

• A mole that changes color, textures, grows, becomes irregular in shape or that is bigger than a pencil top eraser.
• A spot or growth that continually itches, hurts, becomes crusty, scabs or bleeds.
• A skin abnormality that increases in size and appears multicolored, pink, red, black, brown, tan, pearly, translucent or tan.
• An open sore that does not heal after 4 weeks or one that heals and reopens.

Regular skin self exams could save an estimated 4,500 lives annually. Anytime you are concerned about a growth or spot on your skin, it is best to seek the advice of your physician.

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