HOTTING UP
Sunburn once every two years triples your risk of deadly skin cancer, doc warns ahead of hot weekend
WITH the UK set to sizzle in 25'C this Easter bank holiday, experts are warning Brits how easy it is to put themselves at risk from skin cancer.
Dermatologist Dr Jennifer Crawley says that getting sunburnt just once every two years is enough to significantly increase the risk of melanoma.
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She's calling for people to not only use suncream as the weather picks up this weekend, but to wear it all year round to avoid long-term skin damage.
Dr Crawley said: “I think we need to really make the point when we are talking about sun protection, we aren’t just talking about blistering heatwave sun; we are talking about UV light.
“Getting sunburn just once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.
"That’s why it’s so important to be applying sun cream all year round, not just when it’s hot.
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Londoners bask in the unseasonably scorching sunny weather on Easter Bank Holiday weekend
"Skin cancers take a long time to occur and they occur because of an accumulation of UV damage over a number of years, making it fundamental to protect skin from an early age."
A consultant dermo for , Dr Crawley works from University College Hospital London, and she warns that any sunburn on a child's skin is "especially worrying".
"Young skin is much thinner than an adult’s, making it far more susceptible to damage," she explained.
"Sunburn in childhood dramatically increases the chance of skin cancer in later life; it really is imperative that parents take the right steps to protect their little ones when they are outdoors.”
Symptoms of skin cancer
It's a disease which involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells, and it can occur when damage is caused to the skin cells.
This damage can triggers mutations, or genetic defects, that lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumours.
ABCDE list helps you know what to look for:
- A – Asymmetrical moles – irregular in shape
- B – Border of a mole – blurred or has jagged edges
- C – Colour of a mole – if a mole has more than one colour
- D – Diameter (width) – irregular moles are usually larger than 7mm
- E – Evolving – melanoma moles often change (evolve)
Sunburn doesn't cause skin cancer but it increases your chances of developing the disease.
etting sunburnt just five times can increase your chance of contracting skin cancer by 80 per cent.
says: “Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancer.
“In the UK almost 9 in 10 cases of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, could be prevented through enjoying the sun safely and avoiding using sunbeds.”
One of the main problems, she says, is that people don't apply enough suncream.
Everyone needs to apply around two tablespoons for the head and neck area, and two tablespoons for the body.
You can't apply enough - and when it's really warm, you need to think about how often you're applying it.
“Lots of people apply suncream twice during the day as they are aware it does wear off, and while this is a good start, suncream really does need applying more than twice particularly on really hot days.
"It’s also important that whatever your skin type you look for one with a high SPF of 30+ and one that will protect the skin against both UVA and UVB rays."
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Saying that, she does stress that the sun shouldn't stop us from enjoying this weekend's gorgeous weather.
“While this is a really serious topic, I think we also need to make sure people don’t become too fearful of being outside.
"Everyone should be able to enjoy the great outdoors, so don’t let the sun hold you back, just reapply, reapply, reapply!”
Dr Crawley's golden rules for sun safety
On hot days and when you’re abroad, keep little ones in the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its hottest
Cover any exposed skin with suncream even on cloudy days
Use a high factor SPF 30+ suncream, with broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.
Reapply suncream numerous times throughout the day, especially after swimming
Pay particular attention to often forgotten areas such as the shoulders, back of the neck and behind the ears when applying suncream
Where possible, cover up childrens’ skin with a hat, loose-fitting clothing and sunglasses
Always keep babies under the age of six months out of direct sunlight
For those who have particularly sensitive or eczema-prone skin, make sure you are using a product that has been clinically tested as suitable for this skin type / use a product that is dermatologist and paediatrician approved
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