Prevention

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About 80 to 90 percent of all skin cancers could be prevented by protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun, especially from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunlight consists of two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays that damage skin—UVA and UVB rays. UVC rays, another spectrum in sunlight, are also potentially harmful, but the ozone layer blocks most of them from reaching the earth. UVA and UVB rays are present all year and are hazardous, whether they are direct or reflected. When the sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches the surface of the skin, the skin reacts by producing melanin—otherwise known as a tan—to protect itself.

UVB rays are the main cause of sunburn and skin cancer. This type of sunlight intensifies during the summer and damages skin more quickly than UVA rays. The epidermis absorbs most of the intensity of UVB rays.

UVA rays are milder than UVB rays, but because their wavelengths are longer, they penetrate deeper through the skin's layers. UVA rays contribute to wrinkling of the skin, as well as the development of skin cancer.

UVA rays also are used in tanning booths. There, they not only inflict the same type of skin and eye damage as the sun, they may be as much as 20 times stronger than natural sunlight, depending on the bed. UVA rays also can pass through window glass, unlike UVB rays.

The ACS recommends a health care professional examine your skin every one to two years from age 20 to 40 and annually after that for potential skin cancer-related lesions.

Minimize Total Sun Exposure

For the best protection from the sun's harmful rays:

• Stay in the shade whenever you can.

• Limit the time you spend in the sun.

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when its rays are strongest.

• Be aware that the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can reflect off water, sand, concrete and snow, and can reach below the water's surface, as well as burn on an overcast day.

• Wear a large-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your scalp and eyes.

• Wear a cool, long-sleeved shirt and long pants with a tight weave (or made of material especially designed for sun protection) whenever possible.

• Apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure, with careful attention to sun-exposed areas such as the face, hands and arms.

• Apply lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher to protect sun-sensitive lips.

• Reapply about an ounce (the size of a shot glass) of sunscreen at least every two hours, more frequently if you've been swimming or sweating.

• Be particularly cautious if you're taking an antibiotic or other medication that can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

Don't forsake the sun altogether. Instead, follow these steps to greatly reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.

Sunscreens

Nothing is as effective at reducing your risk of skin cancer as avoiding the sun or using physical "screens" such as umbrellas, broad-brimmed hats and long-sleeved shirts. However, sunscreens should also be an important part of your skin health routine whenever skin will be exposed to the sun because they absorb ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Sunscreens are rated by how much sun protection factor (SPF) they offer. These calculations are based on laboratory comparisons of how much sunlight will cause a mild sunburn on the unprotected skin of a person with a fair complexion and on the same skin area protected by sunscreen.

A product rated SPF-15 is designed to provide approximately 15 times more protection than nothing. Wearing sunscreen with SPF-15 allows you to be in the sun 15 times longer without burning than if you had no protection.

Most SPFs of 15 or higher protect against both UVA and UVB rays. While sunscreen use helps minimize damaging sunburns, it doesn't completely prevent burning.

A sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater should be used all year for all skin types. If you develop a rash or other type of allergic response to a sunscreen, try a different brand or form (lotion vs. oil, for example) to see if you can better tolerate it. Sunscreens containing higher levels of SPF tend to stay on the skin longer. Gels wash off more easily and need to be reapplied more frequently, but may be preferable if you are acne-prone or have sensitive skin.

Lotions, oils, gels and creams can all be effective sunscreens, but all sunscreens should be reapplied after water contact and sweating.