When you're spending time outdoors during the wintertime, it's easy to justify skipping the sunscreen when the sun isn't beating down on you mercilessly and you're bundled up instead of sporting a swimsuit. But UV rays from the sun can penetrate clouds and snow can reflect sun onto your face, hands and any other exposed skin. So it's important to remember to take sun safety precautions even on cold or overcast days, too.
This Stanford Health Care video featuring dermatologist Justin Ko, MD, MBA, includes important tips for preventing skin cancer year-round. As I, like many others, prepare for a family trip to Tahoe to take advantage of the recent snow, Ko's reminder about sun safety habits during the winter comes at a good time. For example, I suspect I've been skimping on sunscreen: Ko says you need a shot glass-full to completely cover your body. If you're using a spray-on sunscreen, you need to spray for a full 60 seconds.
Watch the video to learn more information about how to identify possible cancerous moles and preventing high-risk exposures, like tanning beds.
Previously: Skin cancer linked to UV-caused mutation in new oncogene, say Stanford researchers, Humble anti-fungal pill appears to have a noble side-effect: treating skin cancer, Skin cancer images help people check skin more often and effectively, and The importance of sunscreen in preventing skin cancer
