Sun Protection and Skin Cancer

Summer is here and the days are getting longer. As we start to spend more time outdoors and make holiday plans, it’s worth sparing a thought for our skin. Australia holds the dubious honour of skin cancer capital of the world, making the start of summer the perfect time to think about sun protection and getting your skin checked. Read on for some simple strategies you can use to protect yourself including the latest sun safe advice, how to check your own skin and how we can help. 

Skin cancer facts
Australia has the one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world with around 12,000 people a year diagnosed with melanoma and a whopping 430,000 diagnosed with the non-melanoma types of skin cancer. 2000 Aussies lose their lives to skin cancer each year and 2 out of 3 of us will develop some form of it by the time we are 70. Between 95-99% of these are caused by exposure to sunlight and its harmful UV radiation.

Fortunately, 95% of skin cancers are treatable if caught early enough. As with most things, prevention is even better than cure and there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk.

Protecting your skin
We’ve all heard of “Slip, Slop, Slap”, the very successful Cancer Council campaign that’s been around since the 1980’s. It’s had a few recent additions so is worth revisiting:

Slip on some clothing, taking care to cover as much of your skin as possible
Slop on some sunscreen, broad spectrum with an SPF of 30 and reapply every 2 hours
Slap on a broadbrimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears
Seek shade, especially between the hours of 10am-2pm (11am-3pm during daylight savings), when the UV is at its highest
Slide on some sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV damage, ensuring they meet Australian standards.

These basic principles apply even on cloudy or cool days when the UV rays can be just as intense.

Screening
Regular skin checks are an important part of maintaining your skin’s health. We recommend checking your own skin a few times a year – the change of seasons is always a good trigger – so that you are aware of your skin’s normal appearance and are likely to detect any changes early. See the link at the end of the page for a guide on how to do your own skin check and what to look for.

Depending on your risk factors we also recommend having your doctor check your skin periodically. This may be once a year or perhaps more frequently if you are at higher risk, for example have had a previous skin cancer, or a family history of melanoma – your GP can recommend how often you need a skin check.

Worrying signs you should get checked ASAP

• Any new skin spot that has changed over the last few weeks or months in size, shape or colour
• Any existing mole or freckle that has changed over the last few weeks or months in size, shape or colour
• Any inflamed area or skin spot that has become itchy, bleeds easily, becomes crusty or scaly and hasn’t healed within a few weeks

All our doctors here at GP Cremorne are experienced at performing skin checks and assessing any skin lesions you may be concerned about.

Photo by Kristaps Grundsteins on Unsplash