July is National UV Safety Month

By: Laura Hunnewell

A recent email from a friend prompted me to write about this topic. After spending many of her teen and young adult years in the sun, she felt the need to see a dermatologist. Much to her surprise, she received the news that she has Basal Cell Carcinoma. She sent me the following email with the news that she received after her visit:

So, well…Dr. Derick removed an upper arm mole (it was very small but a little dark and slightly shiny, although I couldn’t see that) and I just got the call that I have basal cell carcinoma. I’m having the surrounding tissue removed on July 8th. Here’s a giant THANK YOU for recommending them, it would’ve been years before I got around to finding one on my own!

So how do we prevent this from happening? With regular dermatologist visits and taking care to properly protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Antioxidants can help to repair environmental damage by neutralizing free radicals which can be harmful to the skin. Wearing a hat and sunglasses is always part of my routine when going outside. In the summer months, I skip my all over body moisturizer and apply sunscreen. Don’t forget to apply the sunscreen to the areas we often forget about like hands, feet and ears, even on cloudy days. Use a lip balm containing SPF before applying your lip gloss or lipstick.

It doesn’t take long to add these extra steps to your morning routine. My friend feels happy that she took the time to see a dermatologist as her body had grown a disease without her knowledge.