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So many of us love the sun. Beauty mags tell us that a “healthy tan” is sexy and stylish. What they don’t tell you is that it’s dangerous! The good news is that you don’t have to hide inside if you use SPF. And if you’re tempted to lie out in the sun without sunscreen, remember the costs of sun exposure: wrinkles, sun spots, and, even worse, life threatening skin cancer. Here are some frightening facts about melanoma you may not have known:
Fact 1
Melanoma is a skin cancer that can spread earlier and more quickly than the other skin cancers.
Fact 2
Melanoma is the most common of all cancers in men and women ages 20-29.
Fact 3
Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the U.S.
Fact 4
In the U.S., there are as many new cases of melanoma each year than there are of AIDS.
Fact 5
If caught in the earliest stages, melanoma is entirely treatable. It can spread, however, quickly so early detection and treatment is critical.
Fact 6
If untreated and allowed to spread, there is no known treatment or cure for melanoma.
Fact 7
Melanoma often starts out as a mole. If caught early, it can be removed. But because it can look just like a beauty mark, many people don’t notice they have the cancer until it’s too late.
Fact 8
Risk factors for melanoma include fair complexion, family history, severe sunburns as a child and using a tanning bed ten times a year or more before age 30.
Fact 9
Contrary to popular opinion, tanning salons ARE NOT healthier than sitting in the sun. Actually, the UVA radiation used in tanning beds is three times the amount of harmful radiation emitted by the sun.
Fact 10
Researchers say that since UVA rays from the tanning beds penetrate deep into the skin, they destroy skin fibers and damage elasticity, causing premature aging, wrinkles and leathery skin.
Fact 11
The best ways to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer are to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety. Check out more ways to prevent melanoma here.