Prevention Best Medicine for Skin Cancer

The summer season is proving to be a hot one. People are flocking to beaches and pools across the country. Some are prepared for the harmful sun rays that are glaring down on them, but others choose vanity over safety and are setting themselves up for skin cancer. Medical experts have been shouting from the rooftops about the dangers of sun exposure for years.

The government is getting involved and has added a 10 percent tax to indoor tanning beds in an effort to curb the dangerous habit many young people choose to practice. Indoor tanning beds and sun harmful UV rays from the sun are causing millions of people to develop skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer according to the National Cancer Institute. It is also the deadliest and  easiest to cure. Prevention is the key.

Experts recommend people limit their skin’s exposure to the sun, either by wearing protective clothing or an adequate sunscreen. All sunscreens are not created equal, and shady marketing by some manufacturers gives users a fall sense of security. Sunscreens that tout ridiculously high SPFs, more than 50 are not any better than those with an SPF 30. Experts recommend a person look for the level of UVA and UVB protection offered by a sunscreen.

Regular skin cancer screenings can also help save a person’s life. People are urged to check their skin at least once a month for any changes to moles or patches of skin that are darker. Skin cancer is relatively simple to treat in its early stages.