By Pam Molnar, Arizona Parenting May 2024
“They are putting in a tanning bed at the gym,” my then 17-year-old told me. “I can get free tans.”
“We joined the gym so we can all get exercise. Those tanning beds are not good for your skin. Stay away from them,” I replied. Those words went in one ear and out the other. Her wind-kissed skin told me that she was using the tanning beds despite my warnings.
A few months later, as summer was starting, I found my middle daughter lying on a towel on our deck trying to get ahead of swimsuit season. “I hope you have some sunscreen on,” I yelled over her AirPods. She nodded yes, but the bottle next to her read “tanning oil”.
My son was no better. As a soccer player, he spent several hours out in the sun for games and practice. I would always ask if he packed sunscreen. “Yeah. It’s in my backpack,” he reassured me. Unfortunately, his bright red skin upon return was a sign that he did not, in fact, apply the sunscreen that was in his backpack.
While I wish I was stricter about skincare, it is exhausting to parent teens. You have to pick your battles and at the time I was up to my ears in new drivers and high school drama. I hoped that the pain of sunburn would be enough of a punishment.
As adults, we get it. Our teenage years were spent in the sun without the thought of sun protection. We were told that a burn was a good base and slathered on the baby oil before heading out to the beach.
What we didn’t know then was, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation your chance of melanoma doubles if you have burned more than five times. After years of abusing my skin, my luck ran out after a routine dermatology appointment. I had melanoma. Skin cancer. The one no one wants.
After getting healthy, I did what all parents should do – I turned my bad choices into a teaching moment for my kids. It was time to respect the sun and prioritize health over vanity.
Here are a few ways to protect yourself and your family:
- Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. You should use sunscreen daily, even if you will only have brief exposure like walking the dog or running errands. Believe it or not, that includes cloudy days, winter days and when you are sitting under the shade. Reapply every few hours if in water or sweating.
- Use other protection when in the sun for a prolonged period. On a day when you are doing yardwork or sitting outside for a soccer tournament, consider wearing protective clothing like long sleeves, hats and sunglasses. When buying summer clothing, look for an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number on the label.
- Avoid tanning beds. No one wants to look pale and washed out when they start to wear their summer clothes, but skin cancer is too big a risk for that vanity. If you want a little more color, dermatologists recommend using self-tanning sprays instead. You will get a much more even tan without the bathing suit lines.
- Self-check. Look for new and changing spots. Follow the “ABCDE rule” when checking your skin. Asymmetry – Does one side of the mole look different than the other? Border – Does the mole have uneven borders? Color – Is the mole multi-colored versus one shade of brown, tan or black? Diameter – Is the mole larger than the size of a pencil eraser (1/4”)? Evolving – Has the mole changed in size, height, color, etc.?
- Know your family history. Skin cancer is hereditary so your children, parents and siblings might be at risk. Talk to them about the results of your visit. Be sure to encourage your family to do a self-check, seeking help for areas they can’t see themselves like their back, neck and in their hair.
- Make yearly appointments with a dermatologist for a full body scan. Bring a list of areas you are concerned with. Do not panic if the dermatologist finds something they want to biopsy. Most mole removals are benign. However, don’t be afraid to insist on removal and biopsy if you are uncomfortable with how something looks. You know your body better than anyone.
5 Quick Skin Cancer Facts
- Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with approximately 9500 people diagnosed every day. It is estimated that one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.
- Skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin color. Lighter-skinned people are diagnosed 20 times more than Black and Asian individuals. However, those with darker skin tones are often diagnosed in later stages.
- Skin cancer rates are higher in women until age 50, but higher in men after age 50. Children, thankfully, rarely are diagnosed with skin cancer as it develops from UV exposure. When applying sunscreen to your whole body, the recommended amount is 2 tablespoons or the equivalent of a shot glass.
- The most common forms of skin cancer are Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and are highly treatable when detected early. These two non-melanoma skin cancers affect more than 3 million Americans each year.
- Melanoma rates have doubled in the United States from 1982 to 2011. The cases for those 30 and younger have declined while incidences in older age groups have increased. More than one million Americans are living with melanoma.
To learn more about skin cancer risks, prevention and treatment, visit the American Academy of Dermatology.
Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and skin cancer survivor. She hopes her story will encourage others to make their skin health a priority.