- One person dies every hour from Melanoma.
- One in 50 people will get Melanoma.
- It is the 2nd most common cancer in women < 39.
- It is the most common killer in women age 29-34.
How can you protect yourself?
See your dermatologist. An annual skin exam or sooner for any skin changes.
Wear Sunscreen. Make sunscreen a daily habit. UV radiation can damage skin even in the winter and on cloudy days. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays with 30+ SPF. We recommend those containing zinc from brands such as EltaMD, Cerave, and IsClinical. If you have tan lines you are either using the wrong sunscreen and/or you are not reapplying.
Go to ewg.org to see how your sunscreen measures up.
Wear Protective Clothing. Such as sun-protective clothing, hat, and sunglasses.
Avoid Peak Rays. Seek shade during mid-day when the sun’s rays are most intense.
Don’t Use Tanning Beds. Indoor tanning has been shown to increase the risk of melanoma by up to 75%. Melanoma is the number one new cancer diagnosed in young adults (ages 25-29), and scientists a[ribute this trend to the use of tanning beds among this age group.
NicoAnamide (Vitamin B3) According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, Vitamin B3 reduced the risk of squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma by 23%. Harvard Medical School recommends 500mg twice daily of nicotinamide to parents with a history of these skin cancers or with a history of extensive skin damage due to sun exposure.
Melanoma Risk Factors include fair skin, red or blonde hair, more than 50 moles, history of sunburn or UV exposure, family history of skin cancer, and light eyes.
Use the ABCDE system as a guide to watch for melanoma:
A – Asymmetry, moles with irregular borders
B – Blurry or jagged edge moles
C – Color, uneven mole color
D – Diameter of a mole is more than a pencil eraser
E – Evolution, recent change to a mole