The topic for today is sunscreen and sun protection in general and why it’s important, and of course an idea I have to protect more people from skin cancer. There are a few important facts that everyone ought to know.
Let’s start with why we use sunscreen: sunburn (painful) and skin cancer (even worse). Sunburn is caused by ultraviolet rays hitting the skin and damaging skin cells, much like a burn from heat. The effects can be similar, with pain, blistering, and premature death of skin cells.
Skin cancer is also caused by damage to the skin, but usually it’s damage that builds up over time. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. Each is named after the type of skin cell that’s affected.