How to Prevent Skin Cancer Prevention of Different Skin Cancers
The most effective step on how to prevent skin cancer is to avoid the dangerous effects of ultraviolet radiation. Stay out of the sun's harmful rays between 10AM to 4PM as much as possible. If you can't keep out of the sun, the next best strategy to prevent the different types of skin cancers is to fully protect yourself from harmful UV radiation side effects.
How to prevent different types of skin cancers?
Use a Sunblock or Sunscreen Lotion
If you can't avoid the sun especially at midday, use a good sunblock lotion to prevent sun damage.
A good sunblock is your first step on prevention against the different types of cancer in the epidermis. Apply the lotion daily and generously even if it's cloudy and even if you are dark-skinned.
A good sunscreen lotion should offer broad-spectrum protection of at least SPF15 for daily use. But if you are fair-skinned or live near the equator or in elevated area like the mountains you need a higher SPF for daily use.
For outdoor activities like swimming, you must liberally apply sunscreen with at least SPF50. Also, don't forget to re-apply to prevent damage.
Wear Sunglasses with 100% UV Protection
Use sunglasses that are big enough to fully cover your eyes and that offer 100% UV protection.
A pair of sunglasses prevents damage to the delicate facial skin around your eyes.
Polarized lenses provide the best protection.
This is important because the effects of ultraviolet radiation can also damage your eyes and weaken your immune system making you more vulnerable to cancer.
Wear Protective Clothing
How to prevent skin cancer? Wearing protective clothing made of tightly woven fabrics is one way to prevent it. UV radiation can pass through light clothing. Dark colored clothes provide more protection than light colored clothing.
Wear a Wide-Brimmed Hat
Always choose a hat with a wide brim to cover your face, the back of your head and neck and your ears.
Prevention against the different types of skin cancers is better with a wide-brim hat than a baseball cap. The cap won't give enough protection especially if you forgot to apply sunblock.
Use an Umbrella or Seek Shade
Seek shade or take cover under an umbrella if you can't avoid the midday sun. But keep in mind that your umbrella, the trees or a canopy cannot provide complete protection.
Shadow Rule to Follow: "When your shadow is short, seek shade."
Avoid Sunlamps and Tanning Booths
Some people think sunlamps and tanning booths offer a safer way to get a tan. They also think using these equipments don't lead to the different types of skin cancer. The truth is there's no such thing as "safe tanning".
Those tanning equipment also emit harmful radiation that are implicated in melanoma, one of the 3 types of skin cancer and deadliest. So please, stay away from sunlamps and tanning booths.
These strategies on how to prevent skin cancer should start early in childhood.
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