This week we had the chance to talk to our demotologist Dr. Gilly about skin cancer and skin cancer prevention. Dr. Gilly is the Medical Director/Founder of Dermatology, Laser, and Vein Specialists of the Carolinas, PLLC.
Here are facts from Dr. Gilly:
From ages 15-39, men are 55 percent more likely to die of melanoma than women in the same age group. An estimated 46,870 new cases of invasive melanoma in men and 29,510 in women will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2016. An estimated 6,750 men and 3,380 women in the U.S. will die from melanoma in 2016.
Most common area for non-melanoma skin cancer in women is the face and the scalp. The most common area on the body for developing melanoma in women is the upper back and legs.
Women aged 49 and under have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast and thyroid cancers.
More people develop skin cancer because of tanning than develop lung cancer because of smoking.
Having genes that give you red hair, pale skin and freckles increases your risk of developing skin cancer as much as an extra 21 years’ exposure to the sun.
The best thing you can do if you suspect you have skin cancer is to see a board-certified dermatologist. Call and tell the office you have a suspicious spot that needs to be evaluated. Prevention starts at an early age. Teach your children to use sunscreen like they brush their teeth.. everyday. Use sun protective clothing and avoid the midday sun whenever possible. As young women, realise that the same harmful UV rays of the sun and tanning beds that cause skin cancer, also cause premature aging. It can cause women to look 40 years old when they are 30 , and to look 50 when they are 40 years old. The best way to avoid fine lines, wrinkles, and brown spots is to avoid constant sun exposure.
We hope you enjoyed this post as knowledge and not something to scare you. We all need to take good care of our skin so we can not only look young and fresh, but prevent something like cancer.
Also, Dr. Gilly is having a ‘bootox’ event this week for those of you in Charlotte. The Wells Fargo tower will light up with the colors of purple on October 26th to bring awareness to the two charities that we are supporting. They are the purple promise foundation (to fight melanoma) and the Isabella Santos foundation to fight childhood neuroblastoma. Both charities have purple as their color.
xoxo,
Trish + Ari