Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It is examined under 2 headings as melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Although melanoma is a rare (approximately 5%) type of skin cancer, it is one of the cancer types with the most aggressive disease course, and the incidence of melanoma has been increasing in recent years.
The good news is that there are measures that can be taken to prevent this type of cancer or that it can be diagnosed at an early stage and effectively treated. Most skin cancers are caused by excessive exposure to UV rays. Most of these UV rays come from the sun. However, sometimes UV rays such as man-made solariums can cause skin cancer. You don’t need to block the sun completely. It would not be wise to live a sedentary life by staying indoors. Because daily physical activity is important for a healthy life. However, too much sunlight can be harmful. You can limit the effect of UV rays by taking some steps.
You can limit the UV effect by staying in the shade. In addition, dressing as closed as possible will prevent you from being overexposed to UV rays. If you need to go out between 11:00 and 16:00, when the sun’s rays are steeper, you should wear a hat and sunglasses that protect from UV rays. In this way, you protect the sensitive area around the head and eyes. Regardless of the season, applying sunscreen with +30 UV protection factor to the exposed areas (face, arms, legs, etc.) in sunny weather is another measure to help protect you from skin cancer.
Many people believe that the UV rays produced by the solarium are harmless. This is not true. Ultraviolet lamps emit UVA and UVB rays. Both UVA and UVB rays cause long-term damage to the skin and contribute to the development of skin cancer. Especially starting the use of solarium before the age of 30 is associated with an increased risk of melanoma. Most dermatologists and health organizations do not recommend the use of solariums and ultraviolet lamps. If you want to look tanned, it is possible to look tanned in a safe way using tanning lotion.
Skin cancer is another type of cancer that needs attention in children. It will be enough to take simple precautions to protect our children from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, which plays an active role in 90% of the development of skin cancer. Children require special attention. Children who spend a lot of time playing by the sea or outdoors are more likely to get sunburned and are unaware of the impending danger. When parents and caregivers go out to protect children from the harmful rays of the sun, make it a habit to dress your child as indoors as possible, wear a hat, and apply sunscreen. Teach your children about the harmful rays of the sun when they are a little older. If your child burns easily in the sun, you should be even more careful, dress indoors, apply sunscreen with a protection factor of at least +30, and take care not to stay in the sun too long (especially between 10:00 and 16:00 when the sun’s rays are perpendicular). Also, wearing sunglasses that protect your child from UV rays will protect both the eyes and the sensitive skin around them. In addition, babies younger than 6 months should not be exposed to direct sunlight, and protective hats and clothes should be worn, and sunscreen should be applied to the sun-exposed areas of the baby.
