Lee Hemming was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the age of 18. She says she was never desperate for a tan and only would get a sunburn twice a year - on the days of her school swimming and athletics carnivals.
Even though we know that genetics plays an important role in skin cancer, the total amount of time a person spent in the sun and the intensity of the UV rays at the time were also key factors.
Some professionals think it goes as far as saying schools that allow children to become sun burnt are guilty of exposing them to injury. Schools need to provide a safe environment for their students.
The World Health Organization says that when ultraviolet radiation is extreme it is often between the hours of 10am and 2pm.
Maybe it would beneficial to move outdoor activities to a time in the day that does not fall into the killer hours. They advise slapping on that sunscreen for outdoor activities and stay indoors if the index is eight or above!
1. I agree that sunburns can lead to many serious skin problems and even cancer, but one shouldn't also forget the usefulness of the sun. The main point is to control the proper measure...
Posted at 5:32PM on Jan 23rd 2007 by Alexis