Ladies spring is here, the sun is out and it is the perfect time to raise awareness of the dangers of tanning and no, indoor tanning is not safe either! Ultraviolet radiation from the sun and indoor tanning is the most preventable cause of all skin cancers including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
My top ten facts about Melanoma:
- One American dies every hour from melanoma
- Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and appears on the skin as a spot that can look like a black freckle or mole
- Melanoma most frequently shows up on the upper back, torso, lower legs, head and neck.
- Melanoma is the most common cancer in 25 to 29 year olds and the second most common in teens and young adults 15 - 29.
- The increase in melanoma in young adults is thought to be due to indoor tanning.
- Best way to prevent melanoma is to stop tanning, wear sunscreen and protective clothing
- If you do have melanoma your best chance of surviving it is to find it on the skin before it has spread to the lymph nodes
- Regularly check your moles for changes: changing color, shape or size
- If you think your mole is changing, make an appointment with a Dermatologist, to have it checked.
- Go to SpotSkinCancer.org to learn more about skin cancer and to find a free skin cancer screening near you