Myth: Indoor tanning is safer because it protects you from sunburn by giving you a base tan.  
Fact: There is no such thing as a “safe” or “healthy” tan. A tan is damaged skin and can put the body at risk for skin cancer. Studies show that melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, is the fastest-growing cancer and is being diagnosed in more and more young people, largely attributable to the use of tanning beds.

Myth: You can’t get sun damage on a cloudy day.
Fact: Your skin is at risk even when the sun’s not shinning. The sun’s ultra violet rays can actually break through the clouds. Even on cloudy days you should use sunscreen and lip balm with UVB and UVA protection with SPF 30 or more.

Myth: You need sunlight to get enough Vitamin D.
Fact: The safest way to get Vitamin D is through a healthy diet and supplements, not long hours in the sunlight. Foods such as milk, yogurt, salmon and tuna are all rich with this nutrient. Fifteen minutes a day of sun exposure for three days a week is all you need for adequate levels of Vitamin D.

Myth: People with darker skin can’t get skin cancer.
Fact: Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate – men and women of all ethnicities are at risk. Although darker-skinned people are less likely to get skin cancer than white people, they are typically more likely to die from the disease.

Myth: Eighty percent of sun damage occurs before the age of 18.
Fact: The majority of a person’s sun damage actually occurs later on in life. While many parents are vigilant with keeping their kids safe with sunscreen and protective clothing, they often don’t practice what they preach. It’s important to protect both your children and yourself from sun exposure whenever you are outdoors.

Remembering these sun safety facts can help you and your loved ones prevent sunburn and early signs of aging and most importantly reduce your risk of skin cancer. You can still have fun in the bright summer sun by following these simple steps:

1. Apply one ounce of sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher before going outside
2. Wear protective clothing – sun glasses, hats and clothing made of tightly woven material with long sleeves
3. Avoid tanning beds and sun exposure when it’s the brightest
4. Routinely check your skin by following the ABCDE rule

Visit Save Your Skin to learn more about keeping your skin healthy year round.

Though local and national government efforts have recently attempted to regulate indoor tanning by implementing a tanning tax or banning usage by minors, tanning bed use remains popular, particularly among young adults.  Researchers of the study encourage more active interventions and stricter protocols that discourage use of tanning beds as a prevention mechanism for skin cancer.

Read the Full Huffington Post Article

From birth to age 18 is when the majority of a person’s exposure to ultraviolet rays occurs and serious sunburns drastically increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Unless sun safety habits are developed early, adolescents and teens do not know or  care about how the sun will affect their skin’s appearance or increase their cancer risk later in life.

In a three year study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, the 50% of fifth graders who were diligent about using sunscreen decreased to 25% when they became eighth graders. This is alarming, especially since Canadian researchers have found that children who use sunscreen on a regular basis are at a lower risk of acquiring moles that can lead to skin cancer in adulthood.

Like learning the habit of wearing seat belts in a car, children should be taught habits for sun safety such as wearing sunscreen and protective clothing when out in the sun. It just may save their lives.

Read the full New York Times article.

Skin cancer is primarily caused by exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and much of this damaging sun exposure occurs in childhood. There is evidence that sunburned and overexposed skin early in life increases risk of skin cancer later in life. Arizonans are at risk as we enjoy over 300 days of intense sunshine each year. Skin cancer risk can be reduced by avoiding overexposure to damaging UVR; however, studies show that behaviors such as avoiding the sun, wearing sun protective clothing and applying sunscreen are declining in Americans, including parents of infant children. Parents’ knowledge and use of sun safety behaviors directly translate into how they protect their young children from sun overexposure.

The Hats On! Program which has provided 3,000 gift bags to parents will be evaluated for its impact on parents’ sun safety knowledge and attitudes, and their sun safety practices for their babies (and themselves). This study was made possible by the support provided by the Foundation’s 2011 Community Grants program. Feedback from parents has been very positive. Comments include:

• “We love the hat. The brim is much larger than anything we have found for sale.”
• “I would not have purchased a hat on my own.”
• “(I) learned several things– I plan to use them in the future.”

The study will provide gift bags in an outpatient pediatric clinic to 175 families with babies ages 9 months of age and younger who come for a well-check visit. “In our intense Southern Arizona sun, it is critically important that parents provide adequate sun protection for their newborns and infants. Our ‘Hats On!’ program gives parents the information and tools to keep their children safe from the sun’s harmful rays,” said Heather Hiscox, SCI Program Development Coordinator and Hats On! Program Director. “With the Prevent Cancer Foundation funding, we can now work to determine if all of those gift bags made a difference.”

Spray of Sunshine in Lincoln Park is aiming to start a sunless revolution! They have teamed up with the Prevent Cancer Foundation and starting June 20, they will kick off a week long benefit to help educate our community about safe tanning and skin cancer prevention.

Free spray tans and skin scans will be given the entire week with a donation to the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Event participants will first be able to have a skin scan, which takes less than a minute and shows underlying sun damage not visible to the naked eye. Then they can choose to have a complimentary Mystic Tan or Custom Airbrush Tan. Customers will leave with a beautiful, safe, and natural looking tan, along with information on sun safety and skin cancer prevention.

Spray of Sunshine’s state of the art sunless tanning studios are 100% UV Free and is the first completely sunless salon in Chicago. They specialize in custom airbrush tanning and with over 10 years of experience, they prove that orange, streaky sunless tans are a thing of the past.

Spray of Sunshine’s sunless tanning facility is located in Lincoln Park at 1647 N. Clybourn Ave Chicago, IL 60614. Due to the popularity of this event, appointments are strongly recommended. Appointments are available by calling 312-280-8100 or they can also be scheduled online at www.sprayofsunshine.com

If these were the only risk factors that applied to me, I might be less concerned over the future state of my skin; unfortunately, it is not. Genetics may be a factor in getting skin cancer; however, another major risk factor is having a history of sunburns. You might assume that, given my strong resemblance to Little Orphan Annie, I have always been very careful about sun exposure, but you would be wrong. Between swim team practice, beach trips, and lifeguarding, I spent the majority of every summer after the age of 5 outside in the sun. Fortunately, I had extremely responsible parents who kept me indoors mid-day, when the UV rays are strongest, and who did their best to slather me with sunblock.

Unfortunately, as a child, I hated everything about sunblock. What I hated most was the constant reminder to put it on, not just from my parents but from virtually everyone I came in contact with. Complete strangers, fearing for my unnaturally pale skin, would often interrupt my childhood fun to offer me some sunscreen. I should have been touched by their concern but, being a child, was instead annoyed and, to my future detriment, I decided to place all of the blame for my annoyance squarely on sunblock. Secretly not applying it became my own form of adolescent rebellion but, of course, all I managed to accomplish was to incur several severe sunburns, including one that left me with the nickname “the lobster”.

You may wonder what prompted the change from someone who was once so lackadaisical in their safe sun practices to the skin cancer prevention vigilante that I am today. The answer is very simple: my third and final risk factor, a family history of skin cancer. What happens when both of your parents, most of your grandparents, and the majority of your aunts and uncles have all had at least one run-in with skin cancer?

Despite realizing that the majority of my blood-relations all have had cancerous cells removed, I was never too concerned until my 16- year-old cousin and my grandfather both had to undergo major excisions,  removal of a skin cancer along with some of the healthy skin tissue around it, around the same time period. The implications of these surgeries finally hit me; not only did I realize that young people could be affected by skin cancer, but I also realized that it meant more than having a mole or two removed.

My grandfather, unfortunately, had contracted a very rare type of skin cancer: merkel cell carcinoma. Thankfully, the doctors caught it early and were able to save his life, but they did have to amputate one of his toes to make sure the cancer would not spread. It was after this that I really began to educate myself on skin cancer. I learned that not only is skin cancer the most common cancer in the United States, but that melanoma is actually the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.

Many who know me think that resigning myself to a fate of getting skin cancer is uncharacteristically pessimistic, if not downright depressing, but I believe the opposite to be true. Since I am convinced that, for me, the question of skin cancer does not begin with an “if” but with a “when”, I am constantly on guard against the disease. I check my skin for suspicious looking freckles once a week, I obsessively check the UV index each morning, and, in addition to my regular sunscreen routine, I use makeup with SPF. By taking all of these steps towards prevention, I am keeping my skin as healthy as possible for as long as possible. When the day I see something suspicious finally arrives, I will have detected it early and therefore greatly increase my chances for a successful treatment. Some may call me pessimistic, but I’m just doing everything I can to make sure that I get to live a long and healthy life. And by following the tips on preventcancer.org/saveyourskin, you can too!

What can you do to make the most out of your visit to a dermatologist? How can you save your skin? Thought you’d never ask!

First of all, avoid excess exposure to UV radiation. Even on a cloudy day there is UV radiation. Take charge of your skin and examine yourself regularly. Remember to wear sunscreen, hats and long-sleeved clothing when outside. Do not smoke!

So what should you be looking for? There are a few easy guidelines to help you.
Look at your skin closely – be proactive.

• Any sore that does not heal, ulcerates or starts to grow can be suspicious for skin cancer.

• Scaly rough spots can be actinic keratosis (pre cancers) and also need to be evaluated.

• Moles that are asymmetric in their color, shape, borders or are growing fast can be worrisome.

If you are unsure, just ask your dermatologist! There is no substitute for a professional exam by a dermatologist and possible biopsies (sampling of the skin lesion for evaluation under a microscope) when suspicious.

Want to learn more about skin cancer prevention and early detection? Visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Save Your Skin page and don’t forget to see my video with Katherine Kennedy on How to Conduct a Self Exam for Skin Cancer. It can save your life and the lives of those you love.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Tanya Kormeili is a nationally recognized board certified dermatologist. She is presently a Clinical Instructor in Dermatology David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is an internationally recognized author. To learn more about Dr. Kormeili please visit her online at http://www.drkormeiliderm.com/