STICK CANCER WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE
WARNING COVER UP..EVEN WHEN IT’S CLOUDY Charity say Scots should check UV index daily to avoid deadly disease My daily tanning sessions gave me melanoma
A CANCER charity have warned people to slap on sunscreen during the Scottish summer – even when it’s cloudy.
Melanoma Action and Support Scotland (MASScot) say you should check the UV index daily to find out whether the sun’s rays will be strong enough to cause skin cancer.
Scotland is expected to be sunny today and tomorrow and only levels one and two are seen as safe enough to be out without sunscreen.
MASScot chairwoman Leigh Smith said sun cream and staying in the shade are as important in Scotland as they are abroad.
She said: “We need to know what the UV levels are to stay safe. STV include them in their weather report every day and we should pay as much attention to them as the weather itself.”
Every year, 10,000 Scots are diagnosed with skin cancer and it is the most common cancer in Scotland in the 15 to 34 age group.
At level three on the UV index, skin cells are damaged. At four or above you need to use sun cream with an SPF of 30, stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm and cover your arms and legs.
But knowing the UV index forecast is important because dangerous rays can even penetrate the clouds.
Leigh said: “In Scotland we have 10,000 new cases of melanoma every year. But we often see people who have had skin cancer getting another one and these aren’t counted.”
Leigh, 73, fell victim to skin cancer in her 30s.
She said: “Our obsession with getting a tan is killing us. It almost killed me.
“I am so lucky to be here but it was not an easy journey. I was a nurse and we used to work split shifts and during my off-duty time I would go up to the flat roof of the hospital and read a book – and then go back to work bright red.”
She was discovered to have melanoma on her face when she was pregnant at 36. Surgeons dug deep in to remove the cancer and grafted skin from her foot to repair the damage.
Leigh told how factors can double UV exposure, including light surfaces such as sand reflecting sunlight.
Wet grass can also give a radiation bounce, as do water and snow. Altitude can also play a part.
Leigh fears children do not have enough protection at school.
MASScot have begun an awareness campaign encouraging pupils to carry a small bottle of sun cream and to apply it before going outside.
Leigh said: “Sun and pale skin is a dangerous combination if we do not use adequate protection.” A SUNBED addict’s obsession with the body beautiful left her with a scar the width of her back.
From the age of 16, Lynsey Paris use tanning parlours daily and refused to use enough sun cream on her holidays.
But five years ago she spotted an unusual mole on her back which turned out to be melanoma.
A dermatologist cut it out and after tests showed she had cancer, surgeons removed all traces of it.
Insurance worker Lynsey, 41, from Anniesland, Glasgow, said: “I was a big user of sunbeds when I was young and silly and not aware of the dangers.
“Sometimes I went every single day and I would get burnt on the sunbeds.
“I would pay a month’s subscription and use it every day to get my money’s worth.
“I blame the sunbeds for