"It all started when I saw a mole on my leg," Grant Grussing, a melanoma patient, told Ivanhoe.
Grussing is one of 53,000 men and women who will be diagnosed with melanoma this year. It started out on his leg. Would you know what to look for?
Check out your moles for the A, B, C and Ds of melanoma. First, is your mole asymmetric, with one side bigger than the other? Check the border for jagged edges, then move on to the color. Does the mole have different colors, and is it larger than six millimeters in diameter?
If you answered yes to any of these, see a doctor.
Even if you don't have issues now, protect yourself before you head outside.
"With sunscreen, it's not all about those high SPFs," Jane Houlihan, Ph.D., from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), told Ivanhoe. "In fact, with sunscreens, those high SPF labels can be really misleading."
Houlihan says any SPF over 30 gives only a few more percentage points worth of protection. She says never wear anything under SPF 15.
"What it doesn't tell you about is the other side of sun damage, which is UVA radiation, and that's linked to skin damage, aging and skin cancer, too," Houlihan said.
Each year, the EWG releases their list of the 1,800 best and worst sunscreens. Topping the list: Loving Naturals Sunscreen, SPF 30+; California Baby Sunblock Stick, SPF 30+; and Heiko Kids, 40 SPF.
Also, grab sunblock with zinc.
"You want to look for sunscreens that contain oxybenzone. That's a chemical -- an ingredient -- that acts like a hormone, and it might be harmful to your health; it absorbs through the skin," Houlihan said.
When it comes to your eyes, not all sunglasses are created equal. In fact, cheap sunglasses could hurt your vision. Most generic shades only stop the visible spectrum rays of the sun or those painful to look at. Be sure to look for UVA and UVB protection.
As for Grussing, he beat his battle with the sun.
"I'm good to go," Grussing told Ivanhoe. "100 percent."
The EWG found two out of five brand-name sunscreens either don't protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals, or both.
For additional research on this article, click here.
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If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Melissa Medalie at mmedalie@ivanhoe.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: LeAnn Brown Environmental Working Group (202) 939-9146
