FAIRHOPE, Ala. — It’s very easy to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer, but that message may be missing its mark. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) say the best way to avoid becoming a statistic is to protect yourself and your family from the sun while at work and play. When used consistently, sun-protective practices can reduce a person’s risk of developing skin cancer.

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month and according to the CDC, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.

The two most diagnosed types (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) are highly curable. But melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous, especially among young people.

Around 50,039 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanoma in 2004, CDC statistics indicate, while 7,952 people died of this form of the disease.The American Cancer Society estimates that one American dies every hour from skin cancer.

The best way to prevent the development of any type of the disease is by reducing exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays through simple sun-protection practices.

CDC recommends five easy options for sun protection:

•Seek shade, especially during midday hours (10 a.m.–4 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.

•Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin.

•Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears and neck.

•Grab shades that wrap around and block as close to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.

•Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.

You don’t have to lay out at the beach or beside a pool, however, to increase the risk of developing skin cancer. It’s possible to increase the odds any time you are outdoors in the sun while working, boating, fishing, gardening, camping, playing sports or just relaxing.

“We’ve got a lot of opportunities to do things outside,” said Dr. Heather Haley, a Fairhope dermatologist. “Wear sunscreen every day, not just on the weekends. Find the shade, wear a hat and reapply sunscreen (often). Also have a skin check once a year.”

Tanning beds and sunlamps also emit UV rays that are every bit as dangerous as those from the sun and should also be avoided as well, CDC advisors say.

Haley said, “Teens are getting in tanning beds and not using sunscreen. If they’re protected (with sunscreen) in their early years, they’re ahead of the game.”

Tanning and burning in the sun or artificially through the use of a tanning bed can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer, especially if it occurs early in life. Haley said the number of cases of skin cancer in young people has grown dramatically over the last seven years.

Those from 15-30 years old should be the healthiest, she said. Instead, she has seen a decrease in the number of healthy young people, especially when it comes to melanoma.

“Melanoma is the number one cancer in the young population,” Haley said. “The skin cancer cases are jumping, likely because of tanning beds. We need to educate our young people about how bad tanning beds can be.”

The instant gratification of a quick tan is the enemy, she said, adding, “They think a tan looks good. They don’t understand what (UV) does to them.”

Haley said tanning beds have the same long-term effects direct exposure to the sun has. The thicker, leathery skin along with the splotches and wrinkles are rarely welcome later in life, she noted.

“We need to keep them out of tanning beds and give them alternatives,” she said. “There are plenty of great self-tanning products out there, like lotions or sprays that can give you that tanned look without the danger.”

On average, more than one million people per day patronize tanning salons in the United States, Haley said, and girls and women ages 16 to 29 make up nearly 70 percent of the clientele.

A 2002 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that using indoor tanning devices increased the risk of skin cancers two-and-a-half times for squamous cell carcinoma and one-and-a-half times for basal cell carcinoma, compared with nonusers.

Indoor tanning equipment emits both UVA and UVB radiation, and the amount of radiation produced during indoor tanning is similar to the sun and, in some cases, may be stronger.

Studies have indicated that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in the skin cells. Excessive exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning can also lead to skin aging, immune suppression and eye damage, including cataracts and ocular melanoma.

The bottom line, Haley said, is that too much UV (natural or manmade) can be harmful, particularly to very young children. She said, “More than 50 percent of sun damage occurs before the age of 18. I tell parents that if they can protect their children at least until the teenage years, they can make a real difference in preserving the health of their child’s skin. Parents can provide a great deal of protection those first 10-plus years.”

Although sun damage early in life can later manifest itself as skin cancer, even the older are susceptible. People with certain risk factors are also more likely than others to develop the dangerous disease, according to the CDC. Those risk factors include:

•Lighter natural skin color.

•Family history of skin cancer.

•Personal history of skin cancer.

•Exposure to the sun through work and play.

•A history of sunburns early in life.

•Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.

•Blue or green eyes.

•Blond or red hair.

•Certain types and a large number of moles.

Choosing the right sunscreen is important, Haley said. She pointed out the ingredients, and not the SPF number, determines a sunscreen’s effectiveness.

“Most products are chemical sunscreens that provide protection from only UVB rays,” she explained, stressing that products containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide offer protection because they best shield the user from UVA and UVB rays.

Sunscreen offers little protection if not applied properly, however. LUCA Sunscreen LLC offers these tips:

•Apply generous amounts of a quality sunscreen. Most consumers apply only half of the recommended amount.

•Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen, meaning a sunscreen with high levels of UVB and UVA protection.

•Apply sunscreen to dry skin, before going outside. Sunscreen applied to wet or sweaty skin is not very effective.

•An SPF15 sunscreen will provide around two hours of protection before a burn develops, with an SPF 30 providing 4 hours before a developing burn.

•The current SPF methodology breaks down as a reliable predictor of burn protection when one reaches an SPF of 30-33. SPF values above this level are pure marketing, and should be avoided. SPFs over 33 are of marginal additional benefit, but have guaranteed higher active ingredient levels which increase the risk of irritation.

Dr. Susan Y. Chon, assistant professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, offers ways today’s hottest fashion trends can also help offer sun protection to women.

Chon recommends sunglasses, particularly those with extra-large frames; leggings, a runway staple that can go under dresses and tunics even in hot weather; long dresses, another leg-saving fashion trend that is extremely popular on the runways for spring/summer 2009; modern, wide-brimmed sun hats that shield the face, neck ears and chest from the sun; tunic tops or beach cover-ups with long sleeves that can transition from day to night; summery shawls and scarves in lightweight fabrics; and one-piece bathing suits, which provide coverage for the stomach and more coverage for the lower back, an area often missed while applying sunscreen.

To maximize clothing’s skin cancer prevention powers, wear tightly woven, dark-colored fabrics, Chon pointed out. A simple way to test a T-shirt’s UV level is to hold it up to a light bulb. If the light is visible through the shirt, it probably isn’t offering the maximum protection.

“You don’t need to wear special UPF clothing to get extra protection, just wear a sunscreen with SPF15 or higher under layers,” Chon stated. “It is absolutely possible to be fashion conscious and protect yourself from the sun. The trends on the runway this year offer more coverage. We love that!”

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has declared Friday, May 22, to be “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness. The action step emphasized this year is “Slap on a Hat,” encouraging everyone to wear protective clothing like a wide-brimmed hat to provide important protection from too much sun.

For more information about the signs of skin cancer, and how to prevent it in the first place, visit www.skincancer.org.