Block the sun, not the fun

“Prevention is Better than Cure” an Old and Gold Remedy - Follow It. We all know the Do’s and Don’ts of Prevention but are still careless to implement them in our day to day lives. So to refresh our knowledge on that, here are some Prevention Tips:

• Time your Outdoor Activities: The harmful radiations of the sun cause maximum damage betweem 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) in the United States. Try and stay indoors during this time.
• Use a Sunscreen: Choose a Sunscreen with SPF(Sun protection Factor) of at least 15 for both UVA and UVB protection. Reapply if you are outdoor for more than 2 hours or if you sweat/swim.
• Wear Sunglasses that block 100% both UVA and UVB rays.
• Wear Wide Brim hats that shade your face, head, neck, ears.
• Wear clothing that fully covers all parts of your body.
• Avoid Tanning Booths: especially for children. Check out http://www.dermanetwork.org/news/news_details.asp?ID=550 for more information about Legalities concerning usage of Tanning Booths by minors.

Check out adjoining slideshow on some of the best sun care products available in the market.

The beginning of skin cancer

Are you a sun lover and love to spend time basking in the sun? Are you crazzzy about the trendy tanned look? Are you fair skinned and have freckles? Do you have light colored eyes - blue or green? Do you have more than 50 moles on your body? Does your family tree have a skin cancer history? Are you exposed to excessive X-rays in your work? Have you had a recent disease or organ transplant that requires suppressing your immune system? Are you exposed to chemicals like asphalt, paraffin wax, coal tar, arsenic etc. during the course of your work?

If you answered Yes to any of the above questions then take another look at yourself and check for lesions or changes in your skin (mostly face, neck, shoulder, back and arms). Apply the ABCD rule to examine these lesions.

A- Asymmetry
B- Border
C- Color
D- Diameter

Check out this adjoining You Tube Video to learn how to examine yourself for Skin Cancer.