Stay safe in the sun

By Macmillan Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist Kirsty Sutton

Raising awareness of skin cancer and the dangers of to much exposure to the sun are a key priority for both the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and the Arden Cancer Network.

Everyone knows the dangers posed by too much exposure to the sun, most notably skin cancer. More than 75,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with skin cancer each year.

Sun damage happens when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate deep into the skin and damage cells. You won’t feel this happening and it can even happen when the sun doesn’t feel very hot.

Using sunbeds are just as dangerous as lying in the sun. Regularly using sunbeds before the age of 35 increases your risk of skin cancer by up to 75%. To make matters worse, sunbeds also accelerate the skin’s natural aging process!

There are some simple precautions you can take to protect yourself:

Most importantly, make sure you never burn.
In hot weather, try and stay in the shade between the hours of 11am-3pm.
Keep yourself covered as much as possible with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses.
When out in the sun use high factor sunscreen (at least factor 15).

It is even more important to ensure children are kept safe in the sun. Sunburn in childhood can greatly increase the risk of developing skin cancer later on in life.

It is also vital to report any concerns regarding your skin to your GP, especially mole changes or unusual skin growths. These can be a sign of cancer.

Skin cancer can affect anyone, however people most at risk are those:

With fair skin that burns in strong sun
With red or fair hair
With a lot of moles or freckles
With a personal or family history of skin cancer
Who have been sunburned before, especially when young.

24 May sees the launch of the network’s ‘funshine’ campaign, a project that aims to provide all schools in the region with a resource information pack on sun and skin awareness. The pack has been compiled by the Trust’s Skin Clinical Nurse Specialist and will provide information on the latest evidence based research around safe sun exposure and the application of sun cream. It will also provide schools with examples of sun safe policies and procedures and guidelines to implement within the school environment.

The pack will also address the use of sun beds and targets even the youngest age groups to promote a huge cultural shift in behaviour.