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HHS HealthBeat (June 21, 2012)

Cook until done?

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

If you cook your skin in the sun or, for that matter, a tanning bed, you could be done – as in done for. UV rays from the sun or tanning beds can increase your risk of getting skin cancer, which can be disfiguring and sometimes deadly. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dawn Holman says skin cancer is quite common:

“Skin cancers are the most common types of cancer in the U.S. If current trends continue, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.”

Holman recommends that, during your time outside, you can reduce sun exposure with clothing, sunglasses, shade, and regular reapplications of broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. And, she says, avoid tanning beds altogether.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss

Last revised: June 20, 2012