May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and Carroll County Public Health Services is reminding residents there are a few simple things they can do to reduce their risk. Approximately 20 percent of Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life, and one person dies of melanoma every hour. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, either from the sun or from tanning beds, is the number one cause of the disease. The easiest method to protect your skin is to stay out of the sun. If that is not feasible, health experts recommend using products that have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 on a daily basis. Nearly all skin cancers, when discovered early, are curable, and at-risk individuals should perform a head-to-toe self-examination at least once a month. For more information, visit the Skin Cancer Foundation website. A link to their page can be found with this story online.
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