Dis-Chem Catalogue - 2019/12/01-2020/02/29 (Page 26)

be sun smart this summer our country has the world's second highest incidence of skin cancer africans diagnosed with the disease annually* becoming yet another statistic? by julia lamberti the sun's more sinister side the sun naturally gives out ultraviolet of uv rays causing skin damage and penetrates deeply into the skin causing ageing but contributing less to note that the sun's heat comes from infrared and not uv rays which is why it is still possible to burn on cool or cloudy days excessive exposure to the sun's uv radiation damages the genetic material skin cells start to grow uncontrollably potentially leading to skin cancer the most common forms of skin malignant melanoma bcc is the most common form of skin it begins in the squamous cells of the upper layer of the skin and may appear areas frequently exposed to the sun that may bleed and become crusty most serious form of skin cancer causing 75% of all skin cancer deaths typically looks like a pigmented patch or bump but can also be red or white this kind of cancer may also present as become difficult to control recognize risk factors while anyone can get skin cancer