There’s a super simple two-minute test all Australians should be performing if they want to stay safe this summer.
Liz King, Manager of Skin Cancer Prevention at Cancer Council NSW tells 9Honey too many Aussies don’t know their skin cancer risk level and it’s putting them at risk.
“Often people don’t realise they’re in a higher risk group,” King says.
“Anyone who’s had a skin cancer removed before will be in a higher risk group, anyone who’s had a severe sunburn will be in a higher risk group.”
More than two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime and about 2000 die from skin cancer each year, but it’s all preventable.
“It’s one of the most preventable cancers,” King says. “People think, ‘I can get it cut out’ [but] it can be life and death with melanoma.”
You can then speak with your GP about how to protect and monitor your skin, and how often you should be getting it checked based on your risk level.
Every Aussie should keep an eye out for changes or suspicious spots on their skin and take steps to limit UV exposure, especially in summer.
As a nation, we’ve gotten better at getting our skin checked and recognising the dangers of melanoma, but we still have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
That’s why we need to start working towards prevention above all else.
“Prevention is better than early detection. Aggressive melanoma can form and become very dangerous in as little as six weeks to two months,” King warns.
Just slapping on some sunscreen at the hottest part of the day isn’t enough to protect from skin cancer, especially when data shows 85 per cent of people don’t apply enough.
Experts recommend using at least one teaspoon of sunscreen, about 5ml, on each part of your body, adding up to about seven teaspoons in total.
That’s about 35ml to cover the whole body and you need to be reapplying every two hours, without missing a single spot, if you want to be properly protected.
“When they say ‘apply liberally’ they really mean it. Put on double the amount you think you were going to need,” King says. “You don’t want to just rely on sunscreen.”
This is especially true for women who rely on SPF in makeup products like moisturisers or foundation to protect their faces, but don’t reapply throughout the day.
(9 NEWS)
