Prevention

The best way to prevent skin cancer and melanoma is to protect your skin from the sun. Fair skinned/Anglo-Celtic individuals need to develop a lifestyle and/or strategies that minimise their total exposure to direct sunlight, especially during childhood and adolescence.

Protect yourself in five ways

SEEK

Seek shade to avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm). Remember that reflection of UV radiation off surfaces like concrete, sand and water causes you to burn, even if you think you are protected. Use sun shelters or shade whenever possible (eg trees, umbrella, buildings), and choose shade carefully.

SLIP

Try to cover as much skin as possible with clothing. Wear protective shirts which cover the back of the neck. Choose clothing with closely woven fabric.

SLOP

Use a sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) of 30+, and which is also broad spectrum and water resistant, no matter what type of skin you have. Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out and reapply every 2 hours, after swimming or any activity that causes you to sweat.

SLAP

Wear a broad brimmed hat to protect your face, head, ears and neck from the sun. Caps do not provide adequate protection

SLIDE

Protect your eyes with sunglasses that meet Australian Standard AS1067.

Sun Screens

To protect your skin from serious sun damage sunscreen should only be considered after the basic measures have been taken.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is generally grouped into bands A and B. Both contribute to the development of skin cancer and protection from both is needed. UVB is filtered by a number of protective chemical lotions, many of which are easy to apply and essentially invisible. It is important to note however that UVB filters alone do not provide complete protection.

Maximum sunscreen protection is offered by combination/broad spectrum products which combine the UVB chemical filters with micronized titanium dioxide. The titanium cannot be rubbed into the skin so it remains on the surface. These preparations are invariably thicker, a little more difficult to apply, and leave a slightly opaque (usually faint white) layer on the skin surface. These combination/broad spectrum sun screens offer the best protection and are preferred.