it’s scary but true that in spite of the number of melanoma cases every year, protecting ourselves against the sun’s uv rays isn’t something australians take seriously. the australasian college of dermatologists and cancer council australia have strongly stressed the need to think about this.
while melanoma rates may have shown slight improvement, a large percentage of australians still don’t care much about sun protection in the summer. this is particularly true among the younger population that needs to be constantly reminded of the importance of staying safe outdoors.
while australians have always been actively involved in organizing skin cancer prevention campaigns, the past few years have found them becoming complacent. the common belief is that the “job is done” and they can relax. but, the cancer council thinks otherwise and has requested the federal government to start a nationwide campaign. research has shown that when sun protection is promoted through advertising campaigns, people start taking it seriously and doing the needful.
once they take action, they will adopt sunsmart behaviors, and this will help to lower the number of melanoma cases and save lives in the process. being sunsmart doesn’t have to be so hard; you can simply follow these rules:
- slip on clothes for protecting your skin against the sun as much as possible.
- slop on water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen lotions with spf 30 and more; this must be applied half an hour before heading outdoors. reapply every 2 hours.
- slap on broad-brimmed hats to protect the neck, head, and face.
- seek shades to guard your skin.
- slide on sunglasses to protect the eyes.
all these will ensure that you and your loved ones are well protected against the sun. this helps you understand your skin better. don’t forget to contact your gp if you detect any changes in your skin. safety under the sun is the only way to fight this battle against melanoma.
