Campaign 2011

EUROMELANOMA 2011 : SOS : save our skin

No one will contradict us when we affirm that holidays are important can be the best of fun, a delicious moment of relaxation. During our holidays, we are often outside for sightseeing, hikes and walks, swimming, sunbathing and so forth. We especially want to get away to places with abundant sunshine. All this leads to our exposure to powerful sunlight, with the risk of burns, with or without blisters!

There are even long term dangers to which we give scant consideration : premature ageing of the skin : wrinkles, disfiguring spots on our faces, the scalps of bald men, women’s neckline, the arms and the legs. The risk of skin cancer increases in function of the time of exposure to the sun and in function of the number of sunburns, whether this occurred during holidays or work. For the latter we refer to construction workers, postal workers but also those exposed to the sun from behind window screens, such as lorry drivers or airline pilots! It is even more important to be careful when you can answer YES to the following questions on the risk factors:

- You had sunburns with blisters during your childhood.
- You have lived in the Tropics.
- You have a fair skin that reddens easily when exposed to the sun and blond or red hair and freckles.
- You have more than 100 moles, especially irregular ones.
- You have in your family a member who has had a melanoma and you already had one yourself.
- You are a man with a fair skin and older than 50.

Therefore SOS! Save your skin and treat it well, you only have one!

Avoid above all exposing your children to the sun without protection. Protect your skin with clothing and broad-brimmed hats and their eyes with quality sunglasses. Apply sun cream with a minimum protection factor of 30 and for children of 50 every two hours. Avoid exposure to the sun when it is at its zenith: between 12 and 4 pm.