MIDLOTHIAN, Va. — One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, but doctors say daily sunscreen use can lower the risk of melanoma by 50%.
As warmer weather draws more Virginians outside, dermatologist Scott Kennedy with U.S. Dermatology Partners Midlothian is urging people to take sun protection seriously.
Kennedy recommends looking for a waterproof sunscreen labeled "broad spectrum," which covers both UVA and UVB rays. While there is not a huge difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50, he says the SPF level does affect how you apply it. For exposed areas of the body, the recommended amount is about 1 ounce of sunscreen — roughly the size of a full shot glass.
Melanoma patterns also differ by sex.
Men are more likely to develop melanoma on the back or chest, while women are more likely to develop it on the legs.
Kennedy says people with certain risk factors may want to schedule a skin check with a dermatologist as early as their 20s.
"There's multiple risk factors," Kennedy said. "One is just your skin type, so those that have lighter skin, light eyes, if you're redheaded, if you tend to make freckles, those are all risk factors. Those people that have higher sun exposure, anywhere that has not only regular sun exposure, but reflected sun exposure where they're on the water, those are higher risks. Anybody who's had 5 or more sunburns in their lifetime is higher risk for melanoma, and anybody who's using tanning beds is higher risk for melanoma. We know that tanning beds increases the risk three times over anybody who's never been in a tanning bed."
In addition to sunscreen, Kennedy recommends checking your own skin at home every month.
"That's as simple as just looking at all your skin, looking at all your moles, making sure nothing's changed," Kennedy said. "And if you have somebody else who can look at your back and make sure that nothing is changing there. Just because we know that with melanoma in particular, early diagnosis is critical because if a melanoma is found early, it's very treatable. Those that are found late, the cure rate goes down and can cause much more trouble."
Doctors use the ABCDE rule to identify warning signs of skin cancer:
A — Asymmetry
B — Irregular borders
C — Multiple colors
D — Diameter larger than 6 mm
E — Evolving or changing characteristics
Any of those signs on a mole or spot on the skin are a reason to see a dermatologist.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
