One of my best friends here just had a skin cancer removed from her nose (we now have matching noses) and she was always into tanning at those salons.

She took me to one once about 5 years ago. She had to talk me into it. "It's only 10 minutes and I've got these free coupons." I told her I was scared of those things and scared of skin cancer, but she's a real forceful type who won't take "no" for an answer. Now, though, I'll bet she understands my reasonings.

Skin cancer is no fun. It's the easiest to cure, but stay on top of things. Don't think "Oh, that's just a pimple." Like I did for 15 years until I discovered the "pimple" was getting bigger and bigger.

> I'm posting this because I've had two skin
> cancers removed from my nose. Ahhhh!

> 1. All people, regardless of their skin
> tone, are susceptible to developing skin
> cancer. But the lighter your skin, the more
> likely you are to burn, thus increasing your
> risk of developing skin cancer.

> 2. Skin cancer is the most preventable kind
> of cancer, but is still the most common form
> of cancer in the U.S. and is diagnosed more
> often than all other cancers combined! To
> prevent skin cancer, always wear sunscreen
> and protective clothing, stay out of the sun
> during peak hours (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) or
> stay out of the sun altogether!

> 3. Children naturally spend a lot of times
> outdoors and in the sun, so it's important
> to protect children from prolonged sun
> exposure by using sunscreen, glasses and
> other protective clothing.

> 4. Tanning beds emit more UVA rays in a
> shorter period of time than the sun does.
> While UVA rays may not burn like UVB rays,
> they penetrate deeper into the layers of
> your skin, putting you at greater risk for
> skin cancer.

> 5. It is not known why some moles become
> cancerous. Abnormal moles are called
> dysplastic nevi, and are usually larger and
> more irregular-looking. You and your doctor
> should watch your moles regularly for
> changes according to the ABCD's of skin
> cancer.

> 6. Researchers previously thought that UVB
> rays were only responsible for the damage to
> the DNA which control skin cell growth, but
> new research has found that UVA and UVB rays
> are both equally responsible for the damage
> that can result in skin cancer.

> 7. While melanoma is the deadliest form of
> cancer, like all skin cancers, it's almost
> always curable if detected and treated in
> its earliest stages.

> 8. A sunburn is a sign of skin damage and
> the sunburns you accumulate throughout your
> life can all affect your risk for skin
> cancer. Researchers believe that even one
> really bad sunburn can result in skin cancer
> in the future. 9. There are three types of
> skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and
> squamous cell carcinoma, which are both
> non-melanomas, and melanoma. While melanoma
> represents only 4% of skin cancers in the
> United States, it accounts for more than 75%
> of all skin cancer deaths.
> 10. While it is important to apply sunscreen
> whenever you're outside for longer than a
> few minutes, the best way to avoid skin
> cancer is to avoid the sun altogether ! When
> choosing a sunscreen, make sure it's between
> SPF 15-30 and apply liberally.
>