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5 reasons you should read another piece about skin cancer: you think you've heard it all before, but this advice from real women will surprise you—and help you protect your skin

Shape, May, 2008 by Sally Wadyka

HOPEFULLY THIS IS NOT NEWS TO YOU BY NOW: If you spend time in the sun without protecting your skin, you're essentially courting cancer. Need further evidence? Study after study has proven that 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. "The sun is really the No. 1 culprit; if people were diligent about protecting themselves from the rays, the majority of new cases could be prevented," says Robin Ashinoff, M.D., director of cosmetic dermatology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

The women in this story are living proof that skin cancer, which can strike at any age, is treatable if caught early enough. Learn from them and you could save your skin--and maybe even your life.

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"I have skin cancer where?"

LORI BERGER, 37, NEW ORLEANS

"I spent my childhood swimming and playing tennis outdoors and had used tanning beds maybe 15 or 20 times, yet I'd never been to a dermatologist for a skin check. When I was 37, my husband commented on a mole on my behind, saying it had gotten darker. He pushed me to see a dermatologist, who removed it immediately and sent it for a biopsy. A week later, I found out it was melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in its earliest stage. Thankfully, because it was caught so soon, I didn't have to have chemotherapy or radiation, but I do need to get checked every three months to ensure no new cancers develop.

"My attitude about the sun has changed. I now refuse to step foot outdoors without sunscreen and will never lay out in the sun again. From now on, the only color I'll be getting is from self-tanner."

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM LORI'S STORY:

* Be aware of your risks Each year doctors diagnose more than 50,000 new cases of melanoma, which originates in the skin-pigment cells called melanocytes. Rates are increasing for all age groups; in fact, skin cancer is now the third most common cancer in women ages 20 to 39.

* Inspect everywhere It doesn't take much sun exposure to develop skin cancer, which can show up on areas that don't often see the light: between your toes, on your butt, and even in your vagina. Search for suspicious spots by using a mirror.

"I had stopped worshipping the sun"

KATHRYN BELL, 44, CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

"I grew up in North Carolina and never really applied sunscreen as often as I should have. People weren't as diligent back then about sunscreen use as they are today. I was also young, so cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. But by the time I graduated from college, the word was out about the dangers of the sun, so I got serious, applying sunblock to my face and hands every day, even though I lived in a big city and worked indoors. Then I discovered a funny-looking spot on my chest, which worried me enough to schedule an appointment with my dermatologist. While that mole turned out to be nothing, she did find two melanomas: one on my forearm and one on my leg. It took extensive surgery to remove them; the doctors had to go back in several times to make sure all the cancerous cells had been excised from my skin. As a reminder, I have two ugly scars. But rather than try to cover them up, I keep them exposed so people will ask about them and I can warn them about the sun. I even dole out sunscreen as gifts to friends."

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM KATHRYN'S STORY:

* Slather on sunscreen Use one with an SPF of at least 15 every single day (even on overcast days), and apply it to any area that will be exposed 30 minutes before heading out. A golf ball-size glob is sufficient to cover your entire body; a quarter-size dollop is recommended for your face. To ensure broad-spectrum protection (against UVB and UVA rays) look for these words on the bottle: Mexoryl, Helioplex, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and Avobenzone, often referred to as Parsol 1789.

* Know your skin Skin cancer patients have a nearly 100 percent survival rate if the cancer is caught early enough. "It's your job to be aware of what's on your skin: what's been there, what's new, what's changed, and what's not going away," says Joel L. Cohen, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado.

"It was just a little bump"

KELLI SWAN, 23, CHICAGO

"I had a small white bump on the front of my nose but thought nothing of it until I accidentally scratched it and it didn't heal. It turned out to be malignant basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. My doctor removed the bump as well as several layers of surrounding skin. The process took about four to five hours, and when it was done he had to use cartilage from my ear to rebuild my nose.

"Although I grew up in Colorado and spent a lot of time in the sun, I never wore sunscreen every day. I thought it was just for beach vacations or skiing. But now I always apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 before I head outdoors, even if I'm just going to the grocery store. And I not only check my body monthly for peculiar spots, I also see my doctor for skin checks twice a year."

5 reasons you should read another piece about skin cancer: you think you've heard it all before, but this advice from real women will surprise you—and help you protect your skin

Shape, May, 2008 by Sally Wadyka

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