It is Sun Awareness Week!

If you follow me on instagram and facebook you may have noticed yesterday’s post!

From the 6th May to the 12th May it is Sun Awareness Week here in the UK.

This is a week long campaign run by the British Association of Dermatologists. The campaign aims to educate the nation regarding skin health and how to stay safe in the Sun.

Unfortunately despite regular information from the National Health Service, Online social media platforms and the news, people are being diagnosed with skin cancer and this has a huge impact on their lives.

For example did you know?

More than 250,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with non- melanoma skin cancer every year in the UK. By 2025, it is expected for this to reach more than 400,000 cases per year.

1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 men in the UK will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

46 new cases of Melanoma are diagnosed in the UK every single day.

86% of melanoma skin cancer cases are preventable

These are tough statistics to take in, especially when you consider that the most common cause is UV Sun exposure.

By taking simple measures and incorporating these into our daily lives all year round we can massively reduce our chances of developing skin cancer in the future as well as reducing the risk for our children by starting good habits early.

Next week on my social media I aim to provide a different aspect of sun awareness education and debunk myths that have led to devastating results.

As a Doctor, my main consideration when treating you in my clinic is your health and this includes preventative measures to keep you safe in the Sun.

Email me on blackabeys@gmail.com any questions you may have on sun protection and I will aim to include these in my sun awareness posts next week!