Save Yourself From Sun Damage
Courtesy of Macquarie University

Very simply, sunburns and UV light can damage your skin, and this damage can lead to skin cancer. Your eyes are just as succeptable to damage from the sun in the form of corneal burns, retinal damage, and cataracts.

National Incidence and Mortality Rates:

• Melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Australia.
• More than 6700 people are diagnosed with melanoma each year in Australia.
• Around 900 people die of melanoma each year in Australia.
• One in 32 Australians will develop melanoma by the age of 75.

Risk Factors:

• Unprotected exposure to the sun in the first fifteen years of life more than doubles the chances of getting skin cancer later in life.
• UV rays bounce off sand, snow, and other reflective surfaces; about 80 percent can pass through clouds, and the rays can reach down into three feet of water.
• Skin cancer is very slow to develop. The sunburn you receive this week may take 20 years or more to become skin cancer.
• People who spend more time in the sun when they are young will age more quickly, and wrinkle more intensely, than those who avoid the sun.

Protect Yourself:

• Minimise time in the sun between 11am and 3pm (daylight saving time).
• Use shade wherever you can including trees, shelters, and umbrellas.
• Slip on a shirt made from tightly woven fabric, with sleeves and a high neck or collar, and other clothing that covers the skin.
• Slop on a broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30+.
• Slap on a wide brimmed hat that shades the face, neck, and ears.
• Don’t forget get a good pair of sunglasses (labeled with a UV protection number, just like sunscreen) to protect your eyes.