07 | 6 | 2007 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Summer Sun Protection and Skin Cancer Prevention Guidelines

Reducing sun exposure and wearing sun-protective clothes is better than using sunscreen, according to a recent article in the medical journal The Lancet.  According to the authors, though the benefits of sunscreen are proven, most people use so little, or apply it so infrequently, it's ineffective.  Experts advise that to be effective, a shot glass quantity of sunscreen should be applied every few hours; most consumers use nowhere near that amount.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued the following tips for 2006 - 2007, regarding sun exposure:

  • "Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage. 
  • Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin. 
  • Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
  • Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both Ultraviolet-A and Ultraviolet-B rays as possible.
  • Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection."
The American Cancer Society also recommends the ABCD rule to detect melanoma in its early stages, warning everyone to be on the lookout for any of the following changes in an existing mole:
  • "A is for ASYMMETRY: One-half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
  • B is for BORDER: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
  • C is for COLOR The color is not the same all over, but may have differing shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of red, white, or blue.
  • D is for DIAMETER: The area is larger than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch -- the size of a pencil eraser) or is growing larger."
Previously on the D.C. Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have reported:
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