May is National Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness Month. The United States has more patients diagnosed with skin cancer every year compared to all other cancers combined.
The latest statistics reveal that…
- One in five people in the country will develop skin cancer before they reach the age of 70.
- Even though the risk factor for skin cancer is rather low for African Americans, Latinos, and Asians, skin cancer can be the deadliest for these groups as well.
- The American Cancer Society says that men are twice as likely to get skin cancer than women.
- The yearly expenditure of treating skin cancer in the United States is a staggering $8.1 billion – $3.3 billion allocated for melanoma skin cancers and $4.8 billion allocated for non-melanoma cancers.
- In fact, the diagnosis of nonmelanoma skin cancers has increased by 77% between 1994 and 2014.
- More than 90% of these cases are due to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
These facts don’t come as a surprise since most people would think only of outdoor sun safety when thinking of skin cancer prevention.
How Do I Protect Myself From UV Rays?
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that you use a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as part of a complete sun protection regimen in order to reduce your risk of skin cancer. While wearing an effective sunscreen and staying in the shade will help protect your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV) when you are outdoors, you should consider a complete approach to preventing skin cancer when you are indoors – especially in your car on the road.
Many people don’t do this and regret the consequences later in life. That is why you need to take steps to protect your skin when you are driving in the hot sun. Window tinting comes in handy under such circumstances. In fact, the latest studies have revealed that window tinting and the prevention of skin cancer go hand in hand. A high-quality window tint can drastically reduce your risk of skin cancer while driving in the sun. Check out this infographic about interesting facts about how to prevent the most common form of cancer in the USA while in your car.
Does Window Tinting Help Prevent Skin Cancer?
The damage due to exposure to ultraviolet rays is cumulative. In fact, UVA rays will penetrate deep into your skin and accelerate the skin aging process. This could result in the occurrence of wrinkles, fine lines, and skin cancer. UVA radiation is responsible for more than 90% of skin cancer cases in the United States. On the other hand, UVB rays will cause immediate effects like burns and blisters but don’t cause long-term skin damage.
The damage caused by UVA rays is long-term and not immediately noticeable. That is why most people don’t immediately realize that their skin is being damaged from sitting near the window in a car. Millions of Americans receive a large portion of their sun exposure while traveling in their ve