SAFETY TIP: SUN SAFETY Practice ‘Safe Sun’: Protection and Early Detection of Skin Cancer are Key As a trail rider, you can prepare for every challenge and hazard, but sometimes, it’s the one you don’t think about that may be doing the most harm. Like many outdoor activities, riding brings you, your family, and friends who enjoy the sport with you, face-to-face with the sun. And exposure to the sun is a leading cause of skin cancer. Skin cancers are by far the most common of all cancers, and while melanoma, the deadliest form, accounts for only about 1% of all skin cancers – it results in a majority of all skin cancer deaths. Did you know? Over 25 percent of lifetime sun damage occurs in childhood. Men over the age of 40 spend the most time outdoors and get the most annual UV ray exposure. Harmful UVA and UVB rays are more intense in the summer. Florida receives 150 percent more UV light than Maine. Overexposure in one day can lead to sunburns. It takes only one sunburn over the course of your lifetime to double your risk of skin cancer. Are you the one? One in five people in the U.S. will get skin cancer, and more than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with it each year. And that’s good news, because the earlier skin cancer is detected, the more treatable it is. In fact, if detected early, the survival rate for melanoma is around 99 percent, but quickly drops to just 15 percent when discovered at a more advanced stage. Risk factors for skin cancer include a cumulative history of sun exposure (often starting in childhood), blistering sunburns at any age, spending time outdoors for work or play, tanning in tanning beds, or having light-colored hair and fair skin. People over 50 are also at a higher risk, and men are more likely than women to get the disease. And even racing gear and a full-face helmet don’t protect you. Covering up on and off your bike and wearing the right sun protection (from SPF 30 or greater sunscreen to UV protective sunglasses) are a good start.
FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS
