Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Hi. Today, I’m going to tell you a little bit about the hot goddess named Bila, Skin Cancer Awareness Month and how to get a free skin cancer exam by a dermatologist. And stay tuned until the end of this episode for the question of the day; if you answer it correctly, you'll have a chance to win a free skincare product!

[INTRO]

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

May is also the time we start to think about the summer, beaches and bathing suites.

And it’s the time when you should start thinking about the Aboriginal Goddess BILA.

BILA?!?

She is none other than the Aboriginal Goddess of the sun. And she wasn’t the nicest. In fact, she used to roast people over an open fire... Which if you think about it, isn’t that different than your being roasted under the open fire that we call the sun. And too much unprotected roasting causes premature photo aging, lines and wrinkles, and worst of all, skin cancer.

Now, did you know that skin cancer is the most common cancer, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths each year in this country? And paradoxically, it’s also the most preventable.

So what’s wrong here?

People either don't think about skin cancer, or they don't focus on its prevention.

So enter The Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society. They created Skin Cancer Awareness Month to put the focus back on skin cancer so that we can all better prevent it.

Prevention really breaks down into two categories: early detection and effective sun protection.

On the detection front, The Skin Cancer Foundation sponsors free skin cancer screenings.

All month.

All over the country.

Since skin cancer doesn’t develop and turn deadly overnight but instead takes months and years, certainly almost all of the tragic deaths in this country from it can be prevented simply by early detection. And during Skin Cancer Awareness Month, every year, that early detection by a dermatologist is free at designated centers!

Next comes sun protection. And I bet you think I’m going to tell you to stay out of the sun.

Nope. Wrong!

I and most dermatologists won’t tell you to do that because WE KNOW that YOU won’t stay out of the sun. It’s just not realistic. Instead, during Skin Cancer Awareness Month, if you’re not doing it already, get into a routine of protecting yourself while in the sun. Which is as SIMPLE as 1-2-3:

1. Apply a sunscreen every day. Summer or winter.

2. Make sure it has an SPF of at least 15, with UVA protection.

And 3. Reapply it every two to three hours when active, and immediately after swimming or sweating.

So let Skin Cancer Awareness Month be a time when you recalibrate your sun damage prevention and detection, and let your sunscreen thwart skin cancer, and BILA’s evil intentions!

[TRIVIA]

Now for today's skincare trivia! Answer today's question correctly and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a free skincare product! Submit your answer at DermTV Dot Com Slash Trivia, within three days of this episode's airing. Today's question is:

UVA rays cause premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. But, are they worse during the summer or winter?

Don't forget. You can find the answer to all questions in past DermTV episodes.