Most of us wouldn’t consider spending a day out in the sun without first applying sunscreen; some of us even follow our doctor’s advice and wear it every day. But just a few decades ago, people thought much differently. The bronze glow of a tan was so desirable that sun worshippers slathered themselves with baby oil or cocoa butter and lay in the sun’s rays all summer. The stores sold “suntan lotion” designed to attract the sun, not “sunscreen” to protect against it. The sunscreens that were available had SPFs (sun protection factors) of 2, 4, or 8 –compared to today, when they start at 15, and range to 100.

Unfortunately, the sun worship of yesterday comes with a price today. Too much exposure to the sun and frequent sunburns increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Certain types of skin cancer can be deadly if not caught early. So, it’s up to you to be on the lookout for signs of the disease.

Do a complete head-to-check every month and look for any of the following:

Changes in the way your skin looks
New itchiness, tenderness, or pain
Sores that won’t heal or heal and come back
Rough, scaly, bleeding or oozing patches of skin
Wart-like growths or other bumps
Changes in the size, shape or color of existing moles
New moles

If you are a caregiver to an elderly relative, be sure to check for changes in their skin, too. Inspect areas of skin you can see – such as the face, neck, hands, arms and legs.

If you find anything that looks suspicious on your skin or that of loved one, be sure and see a doctor or dermatologist so if it is cancer, it can be treated right away.