TriCounty Health’s Give’m Health message for this week is all about detecting and preventing skin cancer. Local dermatologist Dr. Sam Wilson visited the Evans Family Media studios as the expert on the topic. The skin cancer worried the most about is Melanoma. Dr. Wilson says to watch for changing color or shape of moles when looking for warning signs. “Early detection and prevention is key,” shares Dr. Wilson. “99 percent of skin cancers, including Melanoma, are curable. It’s just when there is a breakdown in prevention and early detection is when [skin cancer] sneaks away.” It’s recommended to use 30 SPF or greater when it comes to sunscreen. While there are some studies that warn about using chemical sunscreens, one thing that is known for certain is that not protecting the skin often leads to potentially deadly skin cancer. If worried about side effects of using sunscreen just avoid chemical sunblock and use mineral based kinds instead. Wearing protective clothing is another option. A trend picking up is skin cancer showing up at younger ages with more people enjoying the outdoors.
