The Secret of SPF and Skin Cancers

On a hot summer day, who would not enjoy a swim in a beach off Coney Island? We might all think that “Yeah, I’m safe from the sun’s harmful rays because I bought this fairly expensive bottle of sunscreen which I lathered on a while ago.” Most Americans are fair-skinned with blue eyes, characteristics which make us prone to skin cancer so we buy sunscreen lotions to protect ourselves from the sun.

Studies have shown that there is about 2% increase in the number of cases of skin cancer from 2000 to 2009. Young women who are fond of lying in tanning beds increase their risk for skin cancers. Tanning beds actually emit UVA radiation which is 10-15 times stronger than the sun. Even children are also becoming more at risk to melanoma and the cases of children with skin cancer are rising each year.

How to Save Yourself from the Sun

Advertisements, news and health warnings always state that you have to wear sunscreen or sunblock lotions with high SPF. Do you know that it is enough for you to use sunscreen when you are exposed in the sun? You also need to choose the best lotion with the right SPF or sun protection factor to make your efforts count.

Some people choose sun block creams and lotions which have high SPF without knowing that they don’t really need it. Don’t buy an SPF 100 lotion just because you’ve heard that the higher the SPF, the better protection you’ll get. Actually, anything below SPF 30 won’t help while those higher tha
SPF 30, there’s not much difference. It means that there is no significant difference between an SPF30 and SPF50 lotion when it comes to sun protection.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers causing about 10 000 deaths in the US annually. If you notice a mole which was not there before, it might be time to consult with your dermatologist. If detected early, skin cancer can still be treated.