melanoma

Watch This Video Before Heading Out This Weekend

July 29, 2011 at 2:51 pm
By Marianne Magno

Our 16-year-old selves did a lot of things that would make our now-adult selves cringe. (Bad haircut? Inappropriate outfit? Check and check.) But on a more serious note, past behaviors like tanning and skipping the sunscreen could have serious consequences on your health today. Watch the touching and informative video below to see what other people would tell their 16-year-old selves about skin cancer and how it has changed their lives. We can’t turn back time, but perhaps this PSA, put together by the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund, would encourage more people to take care of their skin and help prevent future cases of melanoma.

More from FITNESS: Skin Cancer Prevention Facts

Tell us: What would you tell your 16-year-old self?

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Show Off Your Hot Legs—Safely!

May 27, 2011 at 11:24 am
By Lisa Haney

We’re all breaking out our cute sundresses and shorts here in the FITNESS offices now that we’re finally getting a little warmth and sun in NYC. And I’ve been thinking of all those beautiful bare legs after I learned from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SunWise program that it’s the body area where 20 to 25 percent of all melanomas occur in women.

While I’m religious about using daily SPF on my face, I usually don’t think about protecting my exposed limbs unless I’m off to the beach or spending most of the day outside. So in honor of SunWise’s Don’t Fry Day (cute!) today, I’m vowing to start using a daily SPF body lotion to protect my whole body.

The organization’s catchy  “Slip, Slop, Slap & Wrap” sun-savvy motto is now stuck in my head:

• Slip on a shirt.
• Slop on SPF 15+ sunscreen.
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat
• Wrap on sunglasses

More from FITNESS: You can take a two-pronged approach and tackle cancer prevention from the inside out too. Check out what to eat to beat skin cancer.

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