U-V rays can be deadlier in winter
Posted Mar 12, 2011 7:55 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you haven’t given much thought to sun protection this winter, you’re in good company.
A new survey shows most of us haven’t.
This, as research shows the sun’s reflection off of ice or fresh snow has 8 times more U-V radiation than what is reflected off water.
Annette Cyr has been fighting melanoma for the last ten years and says it’s become a life-long commitment to try to raise awareness of what is regarded as a ‘highly preventable’ cancer.
Now the Chair of the Melanoma Network of Canada, she tells 660News early-stage diagnosis is key.
“If it’s caught early, it’s usually treated with surgery and removal of the site area and surrounding tissues. If it does spread beyond the initial areas and you’ve got a metastatic disease, it’s very difficult to treat with very few options. It is chemo-resistant and radiation-resistant,” says Cyr.
She advises wearing a minimum ’30’ level of protection in sunscreen on exposed skin, including places like lips and ears, and remember to re-apply even when it’s cloudy.
An Angus Reid survey shows 67 per cent of Canadians never wear sunscreen in the winter.
