Melanoma Monday 2016: Who’s Got Your Back?
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has designated the first Monday in May each year to raising awareness of melanoma as well as other types of skin cancer, many of which are easy to spot early, thus increasing the chances of successful treatment.
In addition to highlighting free skin cancer screenings across the country, the AAD hopes to get the word out about applying sunscreen specifically to your back, the area of the body where melanoma is most commonly found. This year’s brilliant “Who’s Got Your Back” campaign brings attention to the difficulty of adequately applying sunscreen to your own back and the importance of asking for help from a friend. As most of us have trouble reaching an itch in the middle of our backs, we would venture to say that properly applying sunscreen to that same spot is pretty much impossible.
Based on a 2015 survey conducted by the AAD, 43% of people rarely or never ask for help when it comes to sunscreen on the back. Even more surprisingly, a whopping 37% rarely or never even use sun protection on this much-exposed part of the body. When spotted early, all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma, have a high cure rate. However, when left to progress, melanoma is responsible for 75% of all skin cancer-related deaths while accounting for only 2% of all cases in the United States. With odds like that, it pays to take that extra step and ask for help.
The AAD also recommends performing regular self-examinations to note any new moles or changes in existing ones. When out in the sun, reduce your risk of skin cancer by applying sunscreen, seeking shade between 10am and 2pm when the sun is strongest, wearing protective clothing like hats, sunglasses and long sleeved-tops, and reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours or immediately after swimming or sweating heavily.
At PhaMix, we like to think that we’ve got your back by carrying broad spectrum sunscreens containing stable sun filters like Mexoryl SX, Mexoryl XL and Tinosorb S. Give us a call. We’d be happy to give you a hand choosing one that’s most suitable for your needs.
