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Sun Safety

Protect Yourself:

Slap on a hat: Choose a hat with a broad brim, dark colored liner and constructed of a tight woven material

Slop on sunscreen: Your sunscreen should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30+, be broad-spectrum, water-resistant and used by the use date on the container.

Slip on clothing: Choose dark clothing with a close weave, long sleeve shirts and long style shorts / pants are best.

Slip on sunglasses: A wrap around style is best as it will reduce UVR entering the eye from the side of the face.

Seek shade: Seeking shade can reduce up to 75% of your UVR exposure. Shade can be provided by trees, buildings or by portable means such as umbrellas and tents.

How to check your own skin

It’s important to check your own skin, preferably once a month. A self-exam is best done in a well-lit room in front of a full-length mirror. You can use a hand-held mirror for areas that are hard to see. A spouse or close friend or family member may be able to help you with these exams, especially for those hard-to-see areas like the lower back or the back of your thighs.

The first time you inspect your skin, spend a fair amount of time carefully going over the entire surface of your skin. Learn the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks on your skin so that you’ll notice any changes next time. Any trouble spots should be seen by a doctor. Follow these step-by-step instructions to examine your skin.

Things to Look For:

The “ABCD rule” is an easy guide to the usual signs of melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about any spots that match the following description:
A is for ASYMMETRY: One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
B is for BORDER: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
C is for COLOR: The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.
D is for DIAMETER: The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across (about ¼ inch — the size of a pencil eraser), although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
Another very important sign of possible melanoma is a change in the size, shape, or color of a mole or the appearance of a new spot.  Some melanomas do not fit the ABCD rule described above, so it is very important to tell your doctor about any changes in skin markings or new spots on your skin.