Skin cancer is far and away the most common cancer in Australia. Many think skin cancers are innocuous and “gone” once the lesion is removed. The truth is that skin cancer can be a serious issue and melanoma can be fatal – even the smallest lesion can require much more than a simple excision. My husband is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who constantly deals with skin cancers and their complications and his take home message to patients is always that the condition is much more complex and serious than what people often realise.
Here are the common things we often don’t do well when it comes to looking after our skin– the things I see patients struggle with as a GP:
- Every day you should be wearing a product (moisturiser for instance) with at least SPF 15 on sun exposed areas like the face and neck. Daily means just that – daily. It is intended to protect the skin against incidental sun exposure. Lots of tinted moisturisers, make up products and men’s skin care contain some form of protection.
- If you are doing something outdoors like swimming, exercising, gardening then a broad-spectrum sunscreen should be applied to exposed areas. The sunscreen should be applied 2 hourly – this is where people often go wrong, and sun burn can occur. The easiest way to remember if you are at the beach or busy outdoors is to set a reminder on a watch or phone to reapply at the 2-hour mark!
- The sunscreen market is big now and you have lots of options! The main thing you need to know is that there are 2 main types of sunscreen –physical or chemical. Barrier sunscreens sit on top of the skin and stop the UV rays from even penetrating the skin – these often contain products such as zinc. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin and essentially absorb the UV rays preventing them from damaging the skin. Physical sunscreens can be harder to rub into the skin and chemical sunscreens can cause irritation to skin- you need to weigh up what works for you, what suits your skin and choose something you are likely to use!
- Broad spectrum sunscreens are called “broad spectrum” because they block out UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are the ones that go into the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis, and cause destruction of the collagen. UVA exposure is what accelerates the ageing process – destruction of collagen in the deeper layers of the skin causes skin to shrink and wrinkle. UVB rays target the superficial layers of the skin – UVB is what causes the red, sore skin when you get sun burnt. With sunscreen we are trying to block with UVA and UVB rays damaging the skin.
- Try (really hard!) to reduce the amount of skin exposed to the sun if you are outdoors for long periods on a sunny day. Simple measures like seeking shade, wearing a hat, and wearing a rashie when swimming can make a big difference!
- Parents often do not realise that childhood sun exposure can affect melanoma and skin cancer risk in later life. Sun burn, particularly with blistering, before the age of 16 significantly increases melanoma risk. Sun safety for kids should ideally start from birth!
- If you’re worried about a spot – get it checked and check with your GP when you are due for a skin check. If you see something new pop up on your skin or notice a lesion is suddenly changing, growing, darkening, bleeding – then you should see your doctor to get it checked!