Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer Who’s at risk of developing skin cancer? Everyone under the sun! Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer – and whether your skin is fair, medium or dark, you’re at risk. UV rays from the sun can damage anyone’s skin over time, but skin cancer can be prevented. To reduce your chances of skin cancer, add a little SunSense and some simple steps to your daily routine. Do you: •  have

light-coloured skin, eyes and hair?

• work,

play or exercise in the sun for long periods of time?

• have

a history of sunburns in childhood?

• take

drugs that make you extra sensitive to UV rays?

• use

tanning beds or sunlamps?

Practise sun safety in all seasons Rain, shine or snow, your skin needs protection. People usually remember sun safety in the summer, but forget when fall comes. But whatever the weather or season, UV rays are always there! They can pass through the clouds, haze, fog or mist. And in the winter months – if you’re out snowmobiling, skiing or sledding – forgetting the sunscreen and sunglasses is always a mistake! The sun’s rays reflect off the bright surface of the snow in winter, just like they reflect off sand and water in the summer. Reflection off the snow can nearly double the strength of UV rays. In fact, exposed skin can burn more easily on a sunny winter day than on a sunny summer day!

If so, your risk of skin cancer is higher than the average person’s risk.

Enjoy the sun safely

Check your SunSense

Cover up

Does having a tan protect your skin from the sun?

One of the best ways to protect your skin from UV rays is to cover it up:

A tan won’t stop the sun from damaging your skin. In fact, a tan is a sign that your skin is already hurting! This skin damage – which can lead to skin cancer – remains even after your tan fades.

Follow a few simple steps, then get outside and have fun!

• Wear

lightweight, loose-fitting, tightly woven clothing that covers your arms and legs.

• Add

a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, ears and neck.

• Protect Photographs: © Getty Images Licensed material is for illustrative purposes only; persons depicted are models.

your eyes with sunglasses. 1

Check your SunSense What should you look for when buying sunglasses? Look for sunglasses that have: - UVA and UVB protection - even shading across the lenses - medium to dark lenses with a grey, brown or green tint

Seek out the shade Why sweat it out in the sun when you can have it made in the shade? Choose to sit under a tree at the park or under an awning on a restaurant patio. And when you can’t find shade, make your own! Install an awning on your porch, set up tents or canopies for outdoor events or take an umbrella to the beach, on a picnic or when you’re going out for a walk.

Slather on some sunscreen Sunscreen is an important step in any sun safety routine. Make sure it’s broad-spectrum – this means you’re protected from both UVA and UVB rays. Don’t forget to check the expiry date before you use it. • Choose

a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

• Try

SPF 30 if you plan to be outdoors for a long time.

• Use

a lip balm with SPF 15 to protect your lips. Don’t forget to reapply.

• Use

waterproof sunscreen if you’re going swimming.

Products that have both sunscreen and make-up or sunscreen and moisturizer are okay to use. As always, check that the sunscreen is broad-spectrum, and follow the directions for how much to apply and how often. If you’re not sure that the sunscreen protects you from both UVA and UVB rays or the packaging doesn’t include directions, you may want to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen along with your make-up or moisturizer. If you need to use both sunscreen and insect repellent, put your sunscreen on first. This allows it to absorb into your skin properly. Try to avoid products that have both sunscreen and insect repellent. They don’t work well together in the same product – this is because you need lots of sunscreen to block the sun’s rays, but you don’t need very much bug spray to keep bugs away. Check your SunSense Does a high SPF offer total protection from the sun? No sunscreen can protect you from every UV ray, so don’t think a high SPF is an excuse to stay in the sun longer. Use sunscreen as your backup plan, no matter how high the SPF is. The best protection comes from covering up and finding shade.

• Apply

lots of sunscreen at least 20 minutes before you go out, then reapply it – follow the directions on the bottle.

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Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

© Canadian Cancer Society 2012

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Know the UV Index

Take extra care with kids

Every day the amount of UV you’re exposed to depends on how much time you spend outside and on the strength of the sun’s rays. These rays are measured by the UV Index. The stronger the sun’s rays are, the higher the UV Index is.

Kids love fun in the sun, but they may not know the risks.

Environment Canada’s UV Index UV Index

Exposure category

0–2

Low

3–5

Moderate

6–7

High

8–10

Very high

11+

Extreme

To keep kids safe in the sun, adults need to take the lead. This means protecting children’s skin in the same ways you protect your own. Make these practices part of your child’s sun safety routine – and model them yourself. You’re protecting their skin now and teaching them sun-safe habits for life. • Keep

Once the UV Index reaches 3 or more (moderate), your local weather forecast will include it. On these days, you need to be extra careful to protect your skin. Try to reduce your time in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (when the sun’s rays are at their strongest) or any time of the day when the UV Index is 3 or more. i  Want more info about the UV Index and

what the numbers mean? Go to cancer.ca and search for: UV Index.

kids out of the sun when its rays are at their strongest.

• Cover

their skin with clothing. Have them wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

• Find

shade.

• Have

them wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

Babies’ skin is even more sensitive. Babies have less natural sun protection in their skin than older kids and adults. This means they need extra care. Avoiding direct sunlight is best, but if you can’t, it’s okay to use a little sunscreen on your baby. • Keep

them cool! The heat of the sun can make babies dehydrated or give them sunstroke quickly.

• Keep

babies out of direct sunlight by finding shade or using stroller hoods or covers.

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Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

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Check your SunSense

Get your daily dose of vitamin D

Did you miss a spot?

… but don’t overdo it!

People often forget these areas when applying sunscreen: - tops of feet - tops of ears - backs of hands - back of neck - chest - scalp/hair line

Don’t use tanning beds A salon tan is just as unsafe as a suntan. Just like the sun, tanning beds and sun lamps use UV radiation to tan your skin. This artificial UV causes skin damage that can lead to skin cancer. In fact, studies show that some tanning beds expose you to 5 times more radiation than the sun! Tanning beds can also cause premature aging and cataracts – probably not what people expect when they’re trying to get a “healthy glow”. The risk isn’t worth it. If you want a lifetime of healthy skin, reducing your exposure to all types of UV rays – and never using tanning beds – is the only way to go.

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Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Getting enough of this vitamin helps keep your bones and muscles healthy. There is also more and more evidence that vitamin D may reduce the risk of some types of cancer. But it’s clear that there are more risks from too much sun than benefits. So what can you do? • Limit

your sun exposure. A few minutes a day in the sun with no sunscreen on may be enough. You don’t need a tan to get your vitamin D.

• Get

your vitamin D from food. (Many foods are now fortified with vitamin D.)

• Talk

to your doctor about taking a vitamin supplement of 1000 IU every day in the fall and winter. You may need to take a supplement all year if you are over 50 years old, have dark skin, don’t go outside very much or wear clothing that covers most of your skin.

i  Want more info about vitamin D? Go to cancer.ca

and search for: vitamin D.

© Canadian Cancer Society 2012

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Know the signs of skin cancer If found early enough, most skin cancers can be cured. Along with using your SunSense, checking your skin regularly is your best defence against skin cancer. Have someone else check places that are hard for you to see, such as your back and the back of your neck, ears and legs. If you find any changes, see your doctor right away. What to watch for: • any

change in a birthmark

• a

mole that changes shape, colour, size or surface

• any

new growth on your skin

• any

sore that doesn’t heal

• an

area of skin that bleeds, oozes, swells, itches or is red and bumpy

Find out more As discoveries in research are made, we want to share them with you. Contact us for the most up-to-date information about sun safety or skin cancer. • Call

an information specialist toll-free at 1 888 939-3333 (TTY: 1 866 786-3934) Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need help in another language, interpreters are available.

• E-mail • Visit

us at [email protected].

our website at cancer.ca.

• Contact

your local Canadian Cancer Society office.

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Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

We’d like to hear from you E-mail us at [email protected] if you have comments or suggestions to help us make this brochure more useful for you and other readers.

What we do The Canadian Cancer Society fights cancer by: •  doing everything we can to prevent cancer •  funding

research to outsmart cancer

• empowering,

informing and supporting Canadians living with cancer

• advocating

for public policies to improve the health of Canadians

• rallying

Canadians to get involved in the fight against cancer

Contact us for up-to-date information about cancer, our services or to make a donation.

This is general information developed by the Canadian Cancer Society. It is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare provider. The material in this publication may be copied or reproduced without permission; however, the following citation must be used: Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer. Canadian Cancer Society 2012. © Canadian Cancer Society 2012 | Printed February 2012 | 211-939