iPod? Check.
Magazine? Check.
Sexy bikini you just got from Victoria’s Secret? Got it.
Sunscreen….? You better hope so.
Even though you might be going to a warm, sunny destination this spring break, knowing the risks of the sun and your 20-something skin is always useful, especially with summer right around the corner.
According to skincancer.org, over the past 30 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined, with one in five Americans developing skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old. From 1970 to 2009, the incidence of melanoma increased by 800 percent among young women.
You don’t have to be tanning by a pool to worry about skin cancer; women who go to the tanning bed just once run the risk of developing a cancer as well. Just one indoor tanning session per year in college boosts the risk of basal cell carcinoma by 10 percent. That risk is increased to 73 percent if one tans six times per year.
The sun also doesn’t need to be shining in order for you to get skin cancer. One common myth is that if it’s cloudy and cold, you don’t need to put on sunscreen. But in reality, up to 40 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day. This misunderstanding often leads to the most serious sunburns because people spend all day outdoors with no protection from the sun. And that can equal some pretty serious skin damage for the future (wrinkles and age spots, anyone?).
So how are you supposed to get that healthy and safe glow on your spring break trip this year? One obvious choice is to put on adequate sunscreen. Pick one with the proper SPF that is ideal for your skin type. Sunscreen works by manipulating the melanoma in your skin and preventing your skin from reddening X amount of times longer than usual. Let’s break it down: If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer.
Other options (including wearing sunscreen!) are to wear a hat, sunglasses and alternate between sun and shade. We all want that sexy summer glow and but in 20 years, your skin will thank you for covering up!