Although most of us have been touched in our families by a cancer diagnosis at one point or another, it is still devastating to find out that a loved one is ill. This is exactly how we felt a few years ago when we found out that the mother of my son’s godmother was diagnosed with Skin Cancer.
Finding out about her condition was especially shocking because this woman is especially health conscious and works very hard to take care of her body. She told me that, as a woman of color, she never really worried about protecting her skin from the sun and was shocked to find out that the mark on her leg was actually malignant.
She recovered from this brush with cancer, however, it certainly made me more aware of the importance of wearing sunblock and shielding my skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Additionally, it made me become more proactive in protecting my children from the sun as well, especially during the warm summer months when we spend a lot of time outdoors.
The sad reality is that one American dies almost every hour from Melanoma. Most people remain completely oblivious to the dangers of exposing their skin to UVA and UVB radiation and continue to sunbathe and visit tanning salons regularly. Neutrogena’s® Choose Skin Health™ Campaign provides the public with a free skin cancer screening with a licensed dermatologist right in their town.
This campaign was launched in order to fight the skin cancer epidemic head on. Since its creation in 2009, its focus has been to educate and empower the public about how to protect themselves against sun damage. One way they can do this is by signing up for a free cancer screening by visiting the Choose Skin Health™ Website.
Neutrogena® knows that early detection can help to save lives. Mexican actress and singer, Sandra Echevarria is the ambassador for this campaign and is helping to educate the Hispanic community about the importance of wearing sunscreen when outdoors and of protecting one’s skin all the time.
This is especially important due to the fact that the incidence of Melanoma among Latinos has increased at an annual rate of 2.9 in the past 15 years. This is the same amount as the annual increase among Caucasians. This is unfortunately due to the fact that, compared to Caucasian women, fewer Hispanic women wear sunscreen or believe that it is important to wear sunscreen daily.
With early detection, skin cancer is often curable and early detection is essential for this. Please visit Choose Skin Health™ on Facebook to learn more tips for protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
*This initiative was made possible through a partnership between Neutrogena® and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), in their commitment with educating the community on sun-related issues.
Disclosure: This sponsored post was written as part of a blogging program through Neutrogena® and Latina Bloggers Connect. Any statements made in this post are the author’s honest opinions. I only recommend products or services I use personally and I believe will be “family friendly.” I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
© 2012, Tough Cookie Mommy. All rights reserved.
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