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Community Corner

Friday is National 'Don't Fry Day'

National Melanoma Awareness Month highlights the dangers of sun exposure.

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 76,000 cases of malignant melanoma—the most serious form of skin cancer—diagnosed in the U.S. in 2013 alone. One American dies every hour from skin cancer, according to ACS estimates.

Friday marks the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend 2013 and the unofficial beginning of summer days of fun in the sun. In an effort to raise awareness of the dangers of overexposure to ultraviolet rays, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has declared Friday "Don’t Fry Day."

People with lighter-toned skin, a family history of skin cancer, abundant moles/freckles and/or those who experienced severe sunburns early in their lives, are at a higher risk for skin cancer, according to the National Council on Skin Care Prevention. But all races and ethnicities are at risk for sunburn.

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Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation, which is preventable if you follow as many of the following safety tips as possible:

  • Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor, or SPF, of 30.
  • Seek shade.
  • Wear sun-protective clothing.
  • Take extra care near water, snow and sandy locations.
  • Get vitamin D safely.

Twenty-five percent of a person’s sun exposure occurs before age 18, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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With this in mind, in 2011, the AAP issued guidelines for parents and pediatricians, designed to keep children and infants from overexposure to UV rays. The guidelines call for keeping infants younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight, educating children as young as age 9 about sun protection, vitamin D supplementation for infants and advocacy for bans on tanning bed use by children under 18.

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