Morgon was sixteen when her doctor informed her she needed to have a biopsy to check for skin cancer.
“I have always loved being in the sun. My whole family tans well, so I would put on sunscreen if I remembered. But if I didn’t, no big deal.”
Morgon is in the majority. According to research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013, only 14.3% of men and 29.9% of women said they regularly use sunscreen on their face and body.
“It was just never something I thought I had to worry about.”
In order to get it tested, a deep area of skin had to be removed. When the results came back, Morgon was happy to find out they were negative for skin cancer, but also in shock she was dealing with something so serious at such a young age.
“Honestly, it should have been a bigger relief, but I didn’t want to have to change my lifestyle. I didn’t want to have to cover up out on the boat, or be worried every day of the summer that I hadn’t reapplied my sunscreen on time.”
That is really the core of the issue. Most people love being in the sun. The vitamin D is an easy mood enhancer and a lot of people feel they look better when they’re tan. Stressing about sunscreen application can turn fun in the sun into worry in a hurry. Although it might seem like an unfair problem to have to deal with—ignoring the problem won’t eliminate the issue.
And it’s not just the sun. According to skincancer.org, “people who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent.” Ultraviolet rays in any form are damaging and they can easily penetrate through car windows, so it’s important people take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.
This means:
- Finding a water resistant sunscreen that won’t sweat off or wash off in the water.
- Choosing a broad-spectrum sunscreen that is SPF 20 or above. We and many experts believe that a broad spectrum SPF 30 is more than enough to protect your skin when reapplied appropriately.
- Covering up in the heat of the day when the sun’s rays are the most intense.
- Reapplying every 2 hours, and making sure you don’t miss the tops of your feet, ears, and head.
- Getting someone to help you apply a decent dollop of sunscreen to the hard to reach places.
- Getting regular check ups if you notice any skin or mole irregularities.
With the thinning of the ozone, sunscreen application is becoming more and more important. At Stream2Sea we care about your health and we care about the health of the environment. That is why we have created a product line of sunscreens that work for you and protect our marine life and oceans as well.
When it comes to summer days outside now, Morgon says she’s being more diligent about putting her skin’s health first.
“I was being stubborn. I mean, it’s not like I never realized how important sunscreen was, I just thought I had a few years until it became a real issue. Getting the biopsy sucked. If I can keep from having to go through that procedure again, then obviously it’s more than worth it.”