7 Senior Skin Cancer Prevention Tips

Spending time outdoors in the summer is a favorite activity for many people in New Jersey! While it’s important to get enough Vitamin D to keep bones, teeth and the immune system healthy, it’s still important to avoid damage from UV (ultra-violet) rays that can lead to skin cancer.

Although much of this damage is done in our earlier years of life, healthy precautions proactively protect seniors — just look at these seven tips from the team at our assisted living community in Gloucester County, NJ:

1. Use high quality sunblock. Always choose a waterproof sunblock of at least SPF30 (sun protection factor) if not higher, even on cloudy days.
2. Cover up. Pretty cotton shawls, wide-brim sun hats and loose cotton pants are great for keeping cool and keeping UV rays from coming into direct skin contact.
3. Protect those eyes. Sunglasses with large polarized lenses and a UV400 rating (blocking 100% of UVA and UVB rays) are a must-have, making it more comfortable to see on bright days and protecting the eyes and delicate skin around them.
4. Stay indoors during peak UV times. Sunshine becomes particularly dangerous around midday, so it’s a good idea for anyone — senior or otherwise — to stay indoors between 11am and 2pm and reserve the morning and afternoon for outdoor activities.
5. Take Vitamin D. As we mentioned above, Vitamin D is very important, and many seniors simply aren’t getting enough. Your doctor will be able to tell you just how much of the supplement you should take to stay healthy, as it’s important not to have too much in your diet.
6. Check your medications. Some medications, including some antibiotics, can make your skin more sensitive to the sun’s effects, causing you to burn more easily. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that none of your prescriptions put you at higher risk. If they do, try to stay indoors or in the shade as much as possible and be extra diligent with reapplying sunblock.
7. Perform a skin exam. Self-examinations are a good way to spot any indications of early skin cancer. Look for spots, changes in skin color, burns, new spots or growths on moles or itchy/bleeding moles or skin growths. If you have any concerns, visit your doctor — it never hurts to have skin cancer ruled out.

Assisted Living in Gloucester County – A True Community for Independent Seniors 

Pitman is an assisted living community in Gloucester County, NJ, offering high quality assisted living services in a comfortable, well-supported and beautiful environment. As part of the United Methodist Communities network, we also offer rehabilitation, access to therapists, hospice care, respite care and memory care and support services. We welcome seniors from all faith backgrounds.

To find out more about our assisted living community, please visit our website at https://umcommunities.org/pitman/ contact us today or book a personal tour.