Healthy Skin is In!

Today is my birthday! I woke up to a nice surprise–my bedroom blanketed with balloons and the most beautiful handmade cards, courtesy of my children. I’m thankful for the gorgeous day because I plan on spending lots of time outdoors, first an early morning run, and later a picnic lunch with my husband. I’ll definitely be wearing sunscreen–I don’t want to be one of the 50,000 Americans diagnosed with Melanoma this year!

I bring this up because May 6th is also Melanoma Monday, a day dedicated to raise awareness of all types of skin cancer,  melanoma being the most serious. Often appearing as as a new mole or a change in size, shape or color of an existing mole, when found in its early stages the chances of recovery are very good. When not found early, it can grow deeper into the skin and spread to other parts of the body, making it much more difficult to treat.

To keep yourself safe:

1. Limit your sun exposure, especially at the peak hours of 10:00am to 2:00pm.
2. Use more sunscreen than you think you need. The average adult needs a shot-glass full for the body plus an additional 2/3 a teaspoon for the face and neck. Reapply every 2 hours and immediately after swimming.
3. Use sunscreen every day, even when cloudy.
4. Never use a tanning bed. Indoor booths have a proven causal link to skin cancer.
5. Do a skin-check self exam every 6-8 weeks to hunt down suspicious moles.
6. Get a yearly head-to-toe skin exam by your dermatologist.
7. Toss sunscreen products that are more than 24 months old or if the scent and/or texture seem off.
8. Choose sunscreen with broad spectrum protection (protection from both the UVA and UVB rays). Three to try: Mustela Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF30 or Banana Boat Sport Performance Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion SPF50.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest.