Sun Safety

The summer season means outdoor activities for many people, however long exposure in the sun could lead to dangerous problems. Abby Hill is a local 17 year old that has stage 3 metastatic melanoma. She has been undergoing treatments and warns to always use sunscreen when outdoors.

“I burned a couple of times in my life and still got it…sometimes it is very easy to get, depending on if it is in your family. Sensitive skin needs to be covered. An estimated 200,000 cases of melanoma are predicted to occur this year.”

Abby’s mother, Heather Hill, would also like to caution people to have suspicious moles checked, which can develop from long sun exposure.

“I don’t think people thoroughly understand the importance of having moles checked. It never occurred to me that my daughter had that, it was in a place that her bathing suit rubbed and we thought it was aggravated.”

Abby graduated high school in May and hopes to become a dog groomer/breeder. She is cautious to take precautions now when doing outdoor activities, like floating the river.

If you plan on being outdoors, an SPF of at least 30 is recommended as advised by the American Academy of Dermatology.