Avoid Tanning Beds

Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look tan, consider using a self-tanning product or spray, but continue to use sunscreen with it.

Avoid Sunburn

Sure it hurts, but what’s so bad about a sunburn?

Sunburn means your skin has been damaged. Ultraviolet light enters the skin to damage your cell’s DNA (your body’s instruction manual). Repeated exposure to ultraviolet light can cause a lot of problems:

  • wrinkles
  • brown spots
  • eye problems
  • moles
  • saggy skin
  • skin cancer

A sunburn can increase the number of moles on your body. While moles are common, they can become cancerous. Keep an eye on your moles with the “ABCDE” rule and talk with a health care provider if you notice anything abnormal.

A

A

Asymmetry – One half
is unlike the other half.
B

B

Border – An irregular, scalloped
or poorly defined border.
C

C

Color – Is varied from one area to another,
has shades of tan, brown or black, or
is sometimes white, red or blue.
D

D

Diameter – Melanomas are usually greater
than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser)
when diagnosed, but they can be smaller.
E

E

Evolving – A mole or skin lesion
that looks different from the rest or is
changing in size, shape or color.