Summer is in full swing and our thoughts are turning to warmer weather, short sleeves and outside activities. But there’s something important everyone should learn about so that they can truly enjoy the sunny weather in a healthy way: Apply Cover Enjoy™.
Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. with 5.4 MILLION PEOPLE treated each year? And that every 8 minutes someone is diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers? Or that every hour, someone will die from melanoma?
Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults ages 15-29. On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had a blistering sunburn before the age of 18. And late-stage melanoma diagnoses are more prevalent among minority patients than Caucasian patients.
Yet, melanoma is almost always curable when it’s found in its earliest stages. Therefore it is vital to raise awareness about good sun safety behaviors.
“Yet, melanoma is almost always curable when it’s found in its earliest stages.”
Here are some Sun Safety Tips from Apply Cover Enjoy™:
- Seek shade when the sun is most intense – usually between 11:00am-2:00pm
- There’s no such thing as a ‘healthy tan’. Tanned skin is damaged skin.
- Do not use indoor tanning booths.
- Apply sunscreen with an SPF between 30-50, and remember to REAPPLY every 2 hours
- Cover up with UV protective clothing
- Check your skin every month, and visit a dermatologist at least once a year
- Once protected, Enjoy yourself!
There’s an enormous need to get educated about the dangers of overexposure to the sun and ultraviolet radiation but education and early detection can save lives! With these learned tips we encourage you to share with others you care about. And then get out there and enjoy yourself!
About the Contributor // The Enright Melanoma Foundation, a doctor-led prevention-focused nonprofit organization, is transforming the way people learn about sun safety. With a mission to raise sun safety awareness and to help prevent melanoma through education and early detection, their skin cancer professionals have developed free, online sun safety education programs for ages 5 and over. Their training courses provide critical information about sun safety by utilizing a fun, friendly and interactive approach. The courses include animations and interactivity, along with a rewards system that features “unlockable” training sections, badges to earn, and custom printable certificates. The application is cross platform and customized for 3 unique age groups. The program takes under 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at www.ApplyCoverEnjoy.org. To learn more about melanoma, visit www.EnrightMelanomaFoundation.org.