Skin Cancer and Sun Safety

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a growing problem in the UK. Help us change this.

A person will die from skin cancer every four hours in the UK and a new case is diagnosed every four minutes. It's a shocking statistic to behold when you think about it. Over 100,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, 10,000 of which will be melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. Deaths from melanoma in men have increased by a third in just ten years. 

There are three types of skin cancer: melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (or SCC for short) and basal cell carcinoma (sometimes referred to as BCC). Cases of melanoma are rising faster than any other type of deadly cancer. To find out more about  the different types of skin cancer please click on the links below

Malignant Melanoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma

In as many as four out of five cases, skin cancer is a preventable disease, so we've put together a few hints and tips on how to stay safe in the sun.

Nothing beats a cover up
Sunscreen cannot give you 100% protection. It is no substitute for staying in the shade, wearing close -weave clothing (e.g. cotton), a broad-brimmed hat and a pair of quality UV sunglasses.

Find the right sunscreen
We would recommend using a sunscreen of SPF 30 for both adults and children. SPF stands for ‘Sun Protection Factor’ and refers to the sun burn protection factor as it primarily shows the level of protection against UVB radiation. Look for a four or ideally five star UVA rating on the bottle which will help protect from UVA radiation. Keep babies and very young children out of direct sunlight altogether. 

Get your timing right
Skin needs time to absorb sunscreen. Put a generous layer on about 15 to 30 minutes before going out. Reapply frequently at least every two hours, as it can come off when swimming or by sweating.

Know your rays
UVA rays are present all year round. They penetrate deeper into the skin, damaging fibres in the dermis which leads to premature ageing. UVB rays intensity peaks during the summer months. They penetrate the skin's surface and can damage skin cells causing a short-term reaction to the sun e.g. sunburn.

Give midday a miss
The sun is at  its strongest in the middle of the day, so it's best to seek shade between 11am and 3pm, especially if you are very fair skinned. Just 10 minutes of strong sunshine is all it takes to burn pale skin.

Please support our Skin Cancer Appeal which aims to raise money purely for skin cancer research. Click here to find out more.