SUNSMART
Skin Cancers, skin protection, sun radiation, campaigns
Skin Protection
Ways that you can keep your skin protected include:
1. SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SEEK AND SLIDE;
- Slip on a shirt
- Slop on sunscreen
- Slap on a hat
- Seek shade
- Slide on some sunnies
2. UVA and UVB:
- UVA rays are long rays that penetrate deep into the skin.
- UVB rays are short, powerful and harmful rays that affect the outer layer of the skin. It also causes sunburn and produces melanin, which gives people a tan.
Sun Radiation
What it is:
UV radiation is the best source of vitamin D. It can't be seen or felt.
What it does to the skin:
Too much UV exposure from the sun is a major cause of sunurn, premature aging, eye damage and skin damage leading to skin cancer.
Three of the most common skin cancers
Melanoma
Melanoma it can become life threatening with in 6 weeks if untreated. It can grow very quickly.
Sometimes blotchy and can be more than one colour - brown, black, blue, red or grey.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Campaigns
Some campaigns trying to prevent people getting skin cancer include:
Nivea: Where you can see a different reflection of yourself, showing whether or not your skin is really protected.
Banana Boat: Advertising their sunscreen and the strength and blockage of it against the UV rays.
Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide: Featuring Sid the Seagull, with him advertising the five ways on how to be sunsmart so that you can avoid skin damage leading to skin cancer.