Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
The cancer institute expects two million new cases in the United States this year. With this, we look at the dangers of sun exposure and what the labels on sun screens aren't telling you.
Dr. Chris Scholes is a dermatologist in Twin Falls. He says when he started 18 years ago it was about one in one hundred affected by skin cancer, now says its one in fifty five or sixty. "We know we can prevent it we know we can catch it early and it's something we need to be doing," Scholes Said. Dr. Scholes' recommendations for prevention are simple. "Number one be very aggressive about sun protection. When you can wear long sleeves, long pants, hats with a brim and anything that's exposed should be covered with sunscreen." Once a month look everything over, if you do that you are more likely to catch it early." The FDA is requiring the labels on sunscreens to change in the fall. "There is no sunscreen that's waterproof. That's actually one of the things coming off of the label, there are some that are more or less water resistant" UVA is filtered by the ozone, but manages to reach the earth, but it's UVB that causes sun burns. But sunscreens do not give any assurances of protecting against UVA. Kayla Horrocks said, "I use tinted make up and 30 spf for my body to protect my skin." Dr. Scholes says the higher the sunscreen SPF number, the better but if you don't use enough it won't do its job. "It should be a shotglass full of sunscreen to cover your exposed areas an 8oz bottle of sunscreen that lasts you for a year and one half that should be 8 applications" Dr. Scholes recommends re applying every hour if you or your kids are in the water. Remember he said there is no water proof sunscreen and every 2 hours if you are out in the sun. Randa Stone said, "Oh I slather it on my kids." In one of the older studies, volunteers put on 30 SPF sun screen and were exposed to a solar simulator, Scholes said adding, "Then they measured their actual photo protection it was an SPF 2 because it's put sun screen on slap in on and it doesn't get you very far" Two kids in Washington State were hospitalized after a school outing because of a bad sun burn. Schools in 49 states are not allowed to put sun screen on kids and they need a parents note to apply it themselves. Scholes said, "That's mind blowing dumb" Dr Scholes says not to change your lifestyle but if you are on the golf course, in the pool or just running errands protect yourself. And make an appointment with a dermatologist if you have concerns. "I would rather tell a lot of folks that something is harmless that saying eh I wish you would have been here 6 months ago" Dermatologists around the state tried to get tanning beds banned for minors but it failed to pass. Scholes does say spray tans are a safer alternative if you want to look tan.