At one time, skin cancer was a disease that primarily affected Caucasians, smokers, those with a history of the disease and people who worked outside. Today, every one of us is at risk. Over the past forty years, the cases of skin cancer have doubled every ten years. It's up to us to protect ourselves and our children from this awful disease.



There are several types of skin cancer, two of which can be quite lethal if left unattended. That's why it's so important to adhere to the following skincare tips. Some of the following information has been provided by NHS Direct Online, the world's largest healthcare organization.

Taking care in the sun is the best way to protect your skin from developing cancer. First and foremost, do not allow your skin to burn. The damage is done as soon as the skin becomes burned, so cover up with sunscreen and loose fitting clothing.

Make sure to cover your legs and arms if at all possible as well. Heat stroke can be prevented if you wear loose fitting clothes and drink lots and lots of water to replace what you lose.

Tightly woven fabrics will provide the best protection from the sun. It's also important to avoid exposure to direct sunlight during the afternoon hours. The sun is at its strongest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you must go outside during these times, be sure to cover up with clothes, wear a hat and sunglasses, and apply plenty of sunscreen.

Always use a sun protection lotion with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15, although exceptionally fair-skinned people, children and people living in exposed areas of the world need to use lotions with an SPF of up to 40.

Be sure that your entire body is covered by sunscreen with sun protection factor above 15. The absolute minimum to cover up is your face, hands, feet and neck but you should also consider using it all over as the most vulnerable parts of your body are the spots that are not usually exposed to sunlight.

Sunscreen should be applied at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and reapplied every couple of hours. Perspiration, water and friction from towels will cause the protection to wear off. Even waterproof sunscreen should be reapplied after swimming.

You should also consider wearing waterproof sun protection when you are out swimming. UVA and UVB rays can pierce through two feet of water. You should also remember that clouds and fog do not prevent the ultraviolet rays from penetrating and getting to your skin -- that's the job of the ozone layer (which we by the way are killing off).

Even on cloudy days, it's important to cover up with SPF 15, put on a hat and wear sunglasses that have UVA and UVB filters. The sun's rays can damage the retinas of the eyes and ultimately create cataracts, so it's important to protect yourself today to avoid future disease and discomfort.