Prevention/Overview

Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

The sun's rays, which are called ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB rays) damage your skin. This damage can lead to early wrinkles, skin cancer and other skin problems. Being in the sun often over time, even if you don't burn, can lead to skin cancer.

Simply experiencing one blistering sunburn can double a child's lifetime risk of developing skin cancer.

Kids spend a significant amount of time outdoors and may not think about protecting themselves from the sun. Even parents may not know that sunscreen can greatly reduce the chance that a child will develop skin cancer. Childhood is a very important time to teach sun safety and can significantly help to prevent skin cancer in later years.

Read on to find out all you can do to protect yourself and your family from skin cancer... and still enjoy outdoor activities!

"The Sunny Truth Can Hurt" provides an Overview of melanoma and what you can do to protect yourself