Español

Skin Cancer Awareness

What to know

Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays causes most cases of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. To lower your skin cancer risk, protect your skin from the sun and avoid indoor tanning.

Overview

Summer is full of outdoor activities. You probably put sunscreen on yourself and your kids when you go to the pool or the beach. But do you know you should protect your skin with more than just sunscreen anytime you're outside?

Sun protection is important all year round, and it's best to use several different kinds. When you're working in the yard, watching a ballgame, or taking an afternoon walk, make sun safety an everyday habit so you can avoid getting a sunburn and lower your chance of getting skin cancer.

Sun Safety

Audio Description

This video explains how to protect your skin from the sun.

What's in your tote bag?

Photo of a colorful tote bag containing sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, towels, and shoes
Make sun safety an everyday habit! Protect your skin from too much sun and avoid indoor tanning to lower your risk.

Here’s a tip to help make sure you and your family stay sun-safe. Get ready for summer with a tote bag full of different ways to protect your skin. Keep the tote bag handy so you can grab it whenever you head out for summer fun!

Some important things to pack:

  • A lightweight long-sleeved shirt or cover-up.
  • A hat with a wide brim that shades your face, head, ears, and neck.
  • Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
  • Sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB (broad spectrum) protection.

More sun safety tips

  • Stay in the shade, especially during late morning through mid-afternoon.
  • Can't stay in the shade? Wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants to protect your skin.
  • Reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
  • Learn how to protect yourself from heat-related illness.

Survivor story‎

"Sun is my vice. It makes me feel good. It's the root of my family name," says Robin. "I fell in love with the sun-assisted caramel color that my Afro Puerto Rican roots blessed me with every summer. In 2012, I noticed a misshapen mole on my right arm. ... I still love the sun, but my skin-protection behaviors are very different."
Read Robin's story

Fast facts about skin cancer

  • Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and includes different types.
  • Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun's UV rays in as little as 15 minutes.
  • Even if it's cool and cloudy, you still need protection. UV rays, not the temperature, do the damage.
  • Anyone can get skin cancer, but some things put you at higher risk.
  • The most common signs of skin cancer are changes on your skin, such as a new growth, a sore that doesn't heal, or a change in a mole.
Print
Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Division of Cancer Prevention and Control