Melanoma Awareness: What You Need to Know About Prevention and Early Detection

I know you are well-versed in sun safety. Still, as May marks Melanoma Awareness Month, even the most sun-conscious among us benefit from a timely reminder of why.

Before we get into it, if you haven't read my Sun 101 post yet, start there. It covers everything you need to know about daily sun exposure and what it does to your skin over time. It's also why I'm committed to designing sun protective clothing that's actually pretty. Because the best protection is the kind you'll actually wear.

GET THE FACTS: SUN 101

Why Daily Sun Protection Matters

Whatever your reason for being here — whether you prefer to pro-age gracefully, have a family history of skin cancer, or simply want to take better care of yourself — daily UV defense is one of the smartest things you can do for your skin.

Skin Cancer Facts Everyone Should Know

From the Skin Cancer Foundation:

• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
• Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.
• UV exposure is responsible for up to 90% of visible skin aging.

And here is the number I want you to hold onto: when detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is over 99 percent. Early detection changes everything.

How to Check Your Skin for Melanoma

This month, I want to ask you to do one simple thing. Look at your skin. All of it.

The Skin Cancer Foundation's "The Big See" campaign encourages everyone to check for anything new, changing, or different. A spot that wasn't there before. A mole that looks a little different than it did. Something that just doesn't look quite right.

If you see something, get it checked. Don't wait. Don't talk yourself out of it.

LEARN MORE: THE BIG SEE

Why Sun Protective Clothing Is Your Best Defense

And when it comes to protection, the experts are clear:

"Clothing is the most effective form of sun protection." — The Skin Cancer Foundation

Unlike sunscreen, you never have to reapply it. A quality UPF layer blocks up to 98% of the sun's rays. A standard white T-shirt, for comparison, offers a UPF of only 7. When wet, it drops to 3.

From your daily walk to a sunny weekend away, let your wardrobe do some of the work. A good UPF layer, your favorite hat and sunnies, and daily SPF. That's the whole strategy. All you have to do is put it on.

LEVEL UP YOUR UPF

The Link Between Melanoma and Breast Cancer

There's a correlation between melanoma and breast cancer that most women have never heard of. I think it's worth knowing about. Please take a moment and read more about the correlation between breast cancer and melanoma here.

Take care of yourselves out there. I mean it.

Be well, Sharone