News Article | June 25, 2025
Protect yourself from the sun
Too much sun can increase your exposure to skin cancer.
Melanoma of the skin represents 5.1% of all new cancer cases in the U.S. Melanoma is more common in men than women and among individuals of fair complexion and those who have been exposed to natural or artificial sunlight over long periods of time.
Skin cancer can greatly reduce workers’ productivity. Every year, Americans lose more than $100 million in productivity because of restricted activity or absence from work due to skin cancer.
Providing sun protection for outdoor workers helps create a healthy and safe workplace. It can also increase productivity, which saves money.
According to the American Cancer Society, there are many things you can do to protect yourself from skin cancer.
- Utilize shade to avoid direct sunlight.
- Wear clothes that cover most of your skin.
- Wear a wide brim hat.
- Wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays.
- Use broad-spectrum sunscreen.
- Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps.
Skin Self-Exam
Many doctors recommend checking your own skin regularly. Not all skin cancers look the same; they can show up in many shapes and sizes. However, it can be common for skin cancer to show up on parts of the body that tend to get more sun, such as the face, head, neck and arms.
ABCDE’s: Look for ASYMMETRY and irregular BORDERS. Change in COLOR or DIAMETER of mole. Notice how skin EVOLVES over time.
Ugly Duckling Sign: Look for something that is different. It might be one mole that is larger or darker than the others.
Learn more about protecting your skin from the sun and screening for skin cancer with sun safety resources from BlueCross BlueShield.
Source: cancer.gov
Source: cdc.gov