Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

Transcription

1 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

2 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer Who s at risk of developing skin cancer? Everyone under the sun! Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canada and whether your skin is fair, medium or dark, you re at risk. UV rays from the sun or tanning equipment can damage anyone s skin over time, but skin cancer can be prevented. To reduce your chances of skin cancer, add a little SunSense and some simple steps to your daily routine. Do you: have light-coloured skin, eyes and hair? work, play or exercise in the sun for long periods of time? have a history of sunburns in childhood? take drugs that make you extra sensitive to UV rays? use tanning beds or sunlamps? If so, your risk of skin cancer is higher than the average person s risk. Check your SunSense Does having a tan protect your skin from the sun? A tan won t stop the sun from damaging your skin. In fact, a tan is a sign that your skin is already hurting! This skin damage which can lead to skin cancer remains even after your tan fades. Practise sun safety in all seasons Rain, shine or snow, your skin needs protection. People usually remember sun safety in the summer, but forget when fall comes. But whatever the weather or season, UV rays are always there! They can pass through the clouds, haze, fog or mist. And in the winter months if you re out snowmobiling, skiing or sledding forgetting the sunscreen and sunglasses is always a mistake! The sun s rays reflect off the bright surface of the snow in winter, just like they reflect off sand and water in the summer. Reflection off the snow can nearly double the strength of UV rays. In fact, exposed skin can burn more easily on a sunny winter day than on a sunny summer day! Enjoy the sun safely Follow a few simple steps, then get outside and have fun! Check the UV Index Before going outside, check the weather forecast for the UV Index. Every day the amount of UV you re exposed to depends on how much time you spend outside and on the strength of the sun s rays. These rays are measured by the UV Index. The stronger the sun s rays are, the higher the UV Index is. Photographs: Getty Images Licensed material is for illustrative purposes only; persons depicted are models. 1

3 Environment Canada s UV Index UV Index 0 2 Low Exposure category 3 5 Moderate 6 7 High 8 10 Very high 11+ Extreme On days when the UV Index reaches 3 or more, you need to be extra careful to protect your skin. If you can, try to reduce your time in the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (when the sun s rays are at their strongest) or any time of the day when the UV Index is 3 or more. In general, the UV Index in Canada can be 3 or more from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. between April and September, even when it s cloudy. i Want more info about the UV Index and what the numbers mean? Go to cancer.ca and search for UV Index. Seek shade Why sweat it out in the sun when you can have it made in the shade? Choose to sit under a tree at the park or under an awning on a restaurant patio. And when you can t find shade, make your own! Set up tents or canopies for outdoor events or take an umbrella to the beach, on a picnic or when you re going out for a walk. If you can see the sky from your shady spot, you still need to cover up with clothing, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. UV rays can reach you in the shade by reflecting off surrounding surfaces. Cover up One of the best ways to protect your skin from UV rays is to cover it up. Cover up as much of your skin as you can with tightly woven or UV-protective labelled clothing. Clothes provide better protection than sunscreen. Add a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head, face, ears and neck. Protect your eyes with sunglasses. Check your SunSense What should you look for when buying sunglasses? The best protection comes from close-fitting sunglasses in a wraparound style. Make sure they have UVA and UVB protection. The label might say UV 400 or 100% UV protection. Slather on some sunscreen Using sunscreen on exposed skin is an important step in any sun safety routine. Use sunscreen as your backup plan, no matter how high the sun protection factor (SPF) is. No sunscreen can protect you from every UV ray, so don t use a high SPF as a reason to stay in the sun longer. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher broad spectrum means you re protected from both UVA and UVB rays. Don t forget to check the expiry date before you use it. Follow the directions on the bottle to apply. If you forget to put it on before going outside, it s not too late! Put it on as soon as you can and reapply according to the directions. 2 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer Canadian Cancer Society

4 Use a lip balm with SPF to protect your lips. Don t forget to reapply. Use water-resistant sunscreen if you re going swimming. Check your SunSense How much sunscreen should you use? This is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It will depend on your size and your clothing. The average adult needs about 2 or 3 tablespoons of lotion sunscreen to cover the whole body and a teaspoon to cover the face and neck. Take extra care with kids Kids love fun in the sun, but they may not know the risks. To keep kids safe in the sun, adults need to take the lead. This means protecting children s skin in the same ways you protect your own. Make these practices part of your child s sun safety routine and model them yourself. You re protecting their skin now and teaching them sun-safe habits for life. Seek shade. Cover as much of their skin as you can with clothing. Have them wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Have them wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Whenever possible, plan outdoor activities for kids when the sun is not at its strongest. Babies skin is even more sensitive. Babies have less natural sun protection in their skin than older kids and adults. This means they need extra care. Avoiding direct sunlight is best, but if you can t, it s OK to use a little sunscreen on your baby. Keep them cool! The heat of the sun can make babies dehydrated or give them sunstroke quickly. Keep babies out of direct sunlight by finding shade or using stroller hoods or covers. 4 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer Canadian Cancer Society

5 Check your SunSense Did you miss a spot? People often forget these areas when applying sunscreen: - tops of feet - tops of ears - backs of hands - back of neck - chest - scalp/hair line Don t use tanning beds A salon tan is just as unsafe as a suntan. Just like the sun, tanning beds and sun lamps use UV radiation to tan your skin. This artificial UV causes skin damage that can lead to skin cancer. In fact, studies show that some tanning beds expose you to up to 5 times more radiation than the sun! Tanning beds can also cause premature aging and cataracts probably not what people expect when they re trying to get a healthy glow. The risk isn t worth it. If you want a lifetime of healthy skin, reducing your exposure to all types of UV rays and never using tanning beds is the only way to go. Get your daily dose of vitamin D but don t overdo it! Getting enough vitamin D is important. This vitamin helps keep your bones and muscles healthy. There is also evidence that vitamin D may reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but you don t need a tan to get your daily dose. For most people, just a few minutes out in the sun the short, casual exposure you get while going about daily life will be enough. These ways to get vitamin D are safer than UV rays: Get your vitamin D from food. (Many foods are now fortified with vitamin D.) Talk to your doctor about whether taking a vitamin supplement of 1000 IU every day in the fall and winter is right for you. You may need to take a supplement all year if you are over 50 years old, have dark skin, don t go outside very much or wear clothing that covers most of your skin. i Want more info about vitamin D? Go to cancer.ca and search for vitamin D. 6 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer Canadian Cancer Society

6 Know the signs of skin cancer If found early enough, most skin cancers can be cured. Along with using your SunSense, checking your skin regularly is your best defence against skin cancer. Have someone else check places that are hard for you to see, such as your back and the back of your neck, ears and legs. If you find any changes, see your doctor right away. We d like to hear from you us at publicationsfeedback@cancer.ca if you have comments or suggestions to help us make this brochure more useful for you and other readers. What to watch for: any change in a birthmark a mole that changes shape, colour, size or surface any new growth on your skin any sore that doesn t heal an area of skin that bleeds, oozes, swells, itches or is red and bumpy Find out more As discoveries in research are made, we want to share them with you. Contact us for the most up-to-date information about sun safety or skin cancer. Call us toll-free Monday to Friday at (TTY: ). If you need help in another language, interpreters are available. info@cis.cancer.ca. Visit cancer.ca. Contact your local Canadian Cancer Society office. Our services are free and confidential. 8 Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer

7 What we do The Canadian Cancer Society fights cancer by: doing everything we can to prevent cancer funding research to outsmart cancer empowering, informing and supporting Canadians living with cancer advocating for public policies to improve the health of Canadians rallying Canadians to get involved in the fight against cancer Contact us for up-to-date information about cancer and our services or to make a donation. This is general information developed by the Canadian Cancer Society. It is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare provider. The material in this publication may be copied or reproduced without permission; however, the following citation must be used: Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer. Canadian Cancer Society Canadian Cancer Society 2012 Revised February 2016 Printed February