Prevention

People with many freckles and moles, fair skin, blond or red hair and blue eyes have a particularly high risk of developing melanoma.

The risk increases further if you have been exposed to a lot of direct sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence.

Although the sun does not always shine strongly in Denmark, it is important to protect skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Even when summer weather is cloudy, much of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays still penetrate through the cloud cover. Sunscreens prevent skin cancer and also cause premature aging of the skin.

You can obtain the best sun protection by following the Danish Cancer Council advice:

Siesta - avoid the sun between the hours of12 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sun hat - protect yourself with a hat, clothing and by staying in the shade

Sunscreen - use sunscreen with a protection factor of at least SPF 15

Solaria no - Turn off the tanning bed - do not go to the solarium

In some states in the U.S. and Germany, tanning beds are now forbidden if you are under 18 years. This is based on scientific studies that clearly demonstrate that the use of sun beds increases the risk of skin cancer.

When you stay in the sun, the unprotected part of the skin should always be protected with sunscreen. Sun protection should be renewed approximately every 2-3 hours and always after bathing, whether the product is waterproof or not. It is difficult to know the amount of cream has been rubbed off in the water.

There are many brands of sunscreen on the Danish market. Most of the series includes creams having different sun protection factor. When selecting a sunscreen you should consider

Who will use the cream – children or adults, people with special skin problems, etc.

Where the cream will be used in Denmark or abroad.

Under which circumstances will the cream be used – sports, hiking, beach holidays, gardening, etc.

Generally you should choose sunscreens for your skin type, depending on the circumstances under which the cream should be used and the UV index. The lighter skin the higher the UV index, the higher sun protection factor is needed.

At the pharmacy, you can get advice on sunscreens depending your needs.

Specially for kids
Children under 1 year should not be exposed to direct sunlight as far as possible, but be in the shade with a hat and light sun protection clothing. The areas of skin not covered by clothing should have sunscreen applied. The more sunburn a child has been exposed to, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer as an adult.