May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which means it's time to take a moment to check out some hard truths. According to SkinCancer.org, an expert on the subject. Check out these alarming facts:
- Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually
- One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime
- More than 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to skin aging are caused by the sun
- About 86% of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun
- About 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun
- One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 57 minutes)
- A person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns
- Now here's the good news. Sunscreen actually works!
- Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 40% and the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent
- People who use sunscreen daily show 24% less skin aging than those who do not use sunscreen daily
Moral of the story: Yes, you can still get skin cancer even when using the proper SPF protection. But are you willing to double, triple, or quadruple your chances by not wearing SPF? Just remember, if you play with fire, you're likely to get burned.
For the vain person in all of us, here are a few great SPF products that make you look and feel great, while also decreasing your chances of becoming a statistic. Click through the slideshow to learn more!