Lessons about risks to sun-lovers
Oregon has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the nation. And now a Eugene woman is trying to a shine a light on the problem before more damage is done.
They call her the “sun screen police.”
Studies show it only takes one severe burn during childhood to double the risk of skin cancer as an adult. That’s why Holly Guardino is doing everything she can to stop it.
Our lives depend on the sun, but too much of it can be hazardous to our health.
Guardino recently taught a class of 8th graders at Eugene’s Jefferson Middle School about the dangers of the sun.
She told the class, for example, that “there’s no such thing as sunscreen or sun block that’s waterproof or all day protection.”
Guardino says the earlier they learn, the better.
“Kids think they’re immortal,” Guardino says, “and that it’s not going to happen to them.”
The students agreed that some of the pictures of skin cancers Guardino showed them were “kind of scary.”
Besides seeing scary images of what the sun can do over time, the 8th graders learned that prevention starts now: Always wear sunscreen.
As class member Emily Brixley put it, “When I have soccer practice I don’t usually put on sunscreen because I don’t think about it. But after this, I definitely will!”
One common misconception for many Oregonians is that wearing sunscreen on cloudy days is not necessary—which puts Oregon on the map for having the second-highest skin cancer rate in the country.
Five years ago Holly Guardino lost a close relative to malignant melanoma, a serious, often lethal form of skin cancer.
This week she continues her “Rays Your Sun Awareness” tour at Cal Young Middle School.
Experts say most skin damage is done before the age of 18.
As we approach summer, dermatologists say a little tanning is okay. But too much, especially sunburns, can cause skin cancer in the future.
Dermatologist Troy Richey, who practices in Eugene, says we use sunscreen even when we don’t think we need it. And we should wear sun-protective clothing to ensure minimal exposure to dangerous ultraviolet rays.
“I don’t think dermatologists want to create a sun paranoia—that you have to live inside and think that the sun is our enemy,” says Dr. Richey. “The sun is a good thing. We just have to be smart about it.”
Cancer experts say it’s also a good practice to stay in the shade during the sun’s peak hours from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 in the afternoon.
source : www.kmtr.com
