Read Full Article HereMIDLOTHIAN, Va. — One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, but doctors say daily sunscreen use can lower the risk of melanoma by 50%.
As warmer weather draws more Virginians outside, Board-Certified Dermatologist Dr. J. Scott Kennedy with U.S. Dermatology Partners Midlothian is urging people to take sun protection seriously.
Kennedy recommends looking for a waterproof sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum,” which covers both UVA and UVB rays. While there is not a huge difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50, he says the SPF level does affect how you apply it. For exposed areas of the body, the recommended amount is about 1 ounce of sunscreen — roughly the size of a full shot glass.
Melanoma patterns also differ by sex.
Men are more likely to develop melanoma on the back or chest, while women are more likely to develop it on the legs.
Kennedy says people with certain risk factors may want to schedule a skin check with a dermatologist as early as their 20s.
“There’s multiple risk factors,” Kennedy said. “One is just your skin type, so those that have lighter skin, light eyes, if you’re redheaded, if you tend to make freckles, those are all risk factors. Those people that have higher sun exposure, anywhere that has not only regular sun exposure, but reflected sun exposure where they’re on the water, those are higher risks. Anybody who’s had five or more sunburns in their lifetime is higher risk for melanoma, and anybody who’s using tanning beds is higher risk for melanoma. We know that tanning beds increases the risk three times over anybody who’s never been in a tanning bed.”
