Sun Smart Your Guide to Sun Protection for Healthy Skin

Sun Smart: Your Guide to Sun Damage Prevention for Healthy Skin

Longer, sunnier days are great for getting out of the house and enjoying the warmth and sunshine. But, as Spring leads into Summer, it’s important to be sun smart and mindful of protecting your skin from UV damage. May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and at the office of Dr. Nita Patel, we’re focused on keeping you and your loved ones safe and healthy all year.

Why is UV Sun Damage So Dangerous?

The redness, flaking, and tenderness we associate with sunburns are a form of radiation damage. As a form of radiation, UV rays penetrate deeply, damaging DNA in skin cells and interfering with the body’s ability to replicate healthy cells. These DNA mutations can result in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers like Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) or Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). 

It only takes 5 sunburns in a lifetime to double your risk of developing skin cancer. 

Beyond melanoma, BCC, or SCC, sun damage can also cause premature signs of aging such as: 

  • Wrinkles and fine lines
  • Loose, sagging skin 
  • Discoloration
  • Sunspots and age spots

Sun Protection Tips for Healthy Skin

Keeping yourself and your loved ones sun safe is key for a happy and healthy Spring and Summer. With over 100,000 new skin cancer diagnoses expected this year, it’s important to practice these sun protection tips:

  • Use sunscreen of at least SPF 30 and reapply at least every 2 hours
  • Avoid excessive sun exposure, especially during peak hours between 11 AM and 3 PM
  • Wear loose, breathable protective layers, hats, and sunglasses
  • Stay hydrated, especially if you are participating in vigorous outdoor activities
  • Get an annual skin cancer screening and perform regular at-house skin exams

When looking for early signs of skin cancer, it’s important to remember the ABCDEs:

A: Asymmetry: one side of the growth does not match the other

B: Border: irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges

C: Color: uneven color, typically brown, red, back, pink, white, or even blue

D: Diameter: the growth is more than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch) across

E: Evolving: the growth changes in size, shape, or color

If you notice these signs or have any other reason to suspect a mole or lesion may be cancerous, schedule an appointment with Dr. Nita Patel as soon as possible. As a skin cancer expert in Marina Del Ray, she can perform any additional diagnostic testing necessary and provide the comprehensive, personalized care you need.

What Happens if I Do Have Skin Cancer?

Any kind of cancer diagnosis can be scary. Thankfully, skin cancer has some of the highest 5-year survival rates – between 95% and 99% if detected and treated early enough. Early skin cancer detection also gives you the broadest treatment options, including nonsurgical interventions.

Dr. Nita Patel proudly offers Superficial Radiation Therapy (SRT) as a viable and effective treatment option for non-melanoma skin cancers. This non-invasive treatment option uses highly targeted, low-grade X-ray radiation energy to destroy cancerous cells while leaving the surrounding flesh unaffected. SRT requires no downtime and each session can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. 

For more information on skin cancer, prevention, and available treatment options, schedule your full-body skin exam with Dr. Nital Patel today.

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