Free skin cancer screening program visits Park City

PARK CITY — The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Destination Healthy Skin RV is visiting Park City from Friday, June 14 until Sunday, June 16.

The RV has two private exam rooms, where local dermatologists will provide free full-body skin cancer screenings, according to the Foundation.

“When skin cancers are found and removed early, they are almost always curable,” The Foundation said. “That is why The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone visit a dermatologist annually for a professional skin exam, in addition to practicing monthly head-to-toe self-exams, looking for any new or changing lesions that might be cancerous or precancerous.”

The RV will be at People’s Health Clinic, located at 650 Round Valley Dr.

 

Screenings will be first-come, first-served, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday screenings will go from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A release from the Foundation said that volunteer physicians are all practicing, local dermatologists. They will provide screenings, and discuss skin cancer prevention and early detection.

Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States.

In the U.S., studies show that more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. The diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers in the U.S. increased by 77% between 1994 and 2014, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.

Protecting your skin

The Foundation said the best way to protect your skin is to use a variety of methods to ensure all bases and body parts are covered.

The more skin you cover, even with lightweight fabrics, the better off your skin will be. Wearing sunhats and large glasses can provide extra protection to your face, neck, eyes and ears.

Look for UPF labels on clothing, and pay attention to the numbers. “The number indicates what fraction of the sun’s UV rays can penetrate the fabric. A shirt labeled UPF 50, for example, allows just 1/50th of the UV radiation to reach your skin,” The Foundation said.

Sunscreen is necessary for all uncovered skin.

“SPF stands for sun protection factor. The number tells you how long the sun’s UVB rays would take to redden your skin when using a particular sunscreen compared with the amount of time without sunscreen,” The Foundation said on their website. “So if you use an SPF 15 product exactly as directed… it would take you 15 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen.”

Water-resistant sunscreens can last up to either 40 or 80 minutes, so reapplication is crucial.

Young children can be especially susceptible to the sun’s rays, so it’s best to keep infants out of the sun, and combat UV rays with clothing. Sunscreen may irritate their sensitive skin, according to The Foundation.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends waiting to apply sunscreen to infants until they are six months old.

The Utah County Health Department also offers free skin cancer screenings once a month. More information on dates and locations can be found on their website.