Jun 01, 2022
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. In the final part of our three part series, Dr. Sheri Farasat, Dermatologist at Mountain State Medical Specialties, Inc., joins us to talk about protecting your skin from the sun.
1). Why is sunscreen so important for young children?
One in five children will grow up to develop skin cancer. Sunburns during childhood are strongly associated with development of melanoma in later life.
Children can become easily sunburned during outdoor playtime. Simple actions like wearing hats and applying sunscreen on uncovered skin, playing in shaded areas or playing indoors during mid-day, all help to protect a child’s developing skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer. The majority of a person’s lifetime exposure to the sun occurs by age 18. Too much sun causes skin cancer, including potentially fatal skin cancers like melanoma
2). If I have already had a bad sunburn - what can I do now to reduce my risk of skin cancer?
Unfortunately, we do not yet have an effective treatment to reverse all the damage and mutations caused by a sunburn. First aid treatment is aimed at alleviating pain and inflammation, and preventing or treating any subsequent infection.
In the most severe and debilitating cases, hospitalization may be required. Any area of skin that has sustained one or more sunburns will carry an increased risk for the development of skin cancer; please remember to ask your doctor to check your skin regularly for any unusual or changing skin growths.
3). What advice would you like to leave us with for this holiday weekend and the unofficial start of summer?
Before families begin to spend time outdoors this Memorial Day weekend, make sure to look for the current weather report that includes the UV Index. Then, make sure to have fun in the shade between the hours of 10 and 4.
Limit your exposure to UV rays by following some simple steps. Remember that a one ounce of sunscreen, is enough to fill a shot glass, that is considered the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of your body. It is best to wear sun protective clothing, as it acts as a physical barrier between the sun and your skin. A large, brimmed hat and sunglasses offers you additional UV protection. Sunglasses are the best way to protect your eyes from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Choose sunglasses with the UV 400-protection label. It is especially important to protect children from harmful effects of the sun because sunburns during childhood increase the risk of getting skin cancer later in life.
If you should have any questions or concerns about your skin, please contact my office in Bridgeport at 304-624-7200. Our office staff will be glad to assist you.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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