Co Antrim woman's sunburn warning after skin cancer diagnosis in her 40s

A Co Antrim woman who was diagnosed with skin cancer in her 40s, has urged the public to be serious about their skin protection.

Sonya Taylor, now 57, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2015 and is supporting a local charity after it released data showing that 61% of people aged 16-65 in Northern Ireland recall getting sunburnt as a child.

Melanoma Focus says research shows that having five or more sunburns doubles your risk of getting melanoma skin cancer and even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life.

READ MORE: Tributes to NI woman who died age 36 after skin cancer diagnosis

Speaking about her experience, Sonya said: "I got sunburned a number of times when I was a child even though I didn’t travel abroad. I also remember getting a really bad sunburn when I was a teenager and I fell asleep in the garden while studying for my exams.

"We didn't wear much sunscreen in those days and we weren't very aware about skin cancer. I ended up being diagnosed with melanoma in 2015 which was a huge shock. In 2017 I found out that it had spread from my ankle to my lymph nodes. It's all been extremely stressful.

"I now work with kids and I would encourage parents to check UV reports and put sunscreen on their children before school. We really need to take skin protection seriously so we can protect future generations from skin cancer."

Of the over 2,000 people surveyed for Melanoma Focus who said they burned in their childhood, 73% of those in Northern Ireland said they burned badly (resulting in blisters) at least once. Further studies indicate that experiencing five or more bad sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases your melanoma risk by 80%.

With the Met Office predicting 2024 to be one of the hottest summers on record, skin cancer experts are concerned about the potential surge in excessive sun exposure.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and it’s on the rise in the UK. 1 in 36 men and 1 in 47 women in the UK will now be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime and melanoma is the most frequent cancer among females aged 20-24 years.

Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: "We all need to take care of our skin but it's especially important to avoid burning in childhood.

"You can do this by seeking shade and using sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen (SPF 30 or above) to cover up exposed skin, especially in the heat of the day.

"We recommend that, particularly for children, you do not use sun creams that claim to only need one daily application. These types of sun creams have been tested in controlled laboratory conditions where certain factors such as swimming, exercising and sweating have not been taken into account.

"Melanoma skin cancer is extremely serious and, despite it being largely preventable, we’re now in the situation where more people are dying from melanoma in the UK than in Australia. Protecting children from burning is the best way we can reduce their chances of developing melanoma in the future."

Professor Catherine Harwood, Consultant Dermatologist and Melanoma Focus Trustee added: "Damage from UV exposure increases your risk of skin cancer over time and sunburns during childhood or adolescence will increase the odds of developing melanoma later in life.

"Newborn babies have very delicate skin and they should be kept out of direct sunlight until they are at least six months old. Older babies and children should ideally be covered up or kept in the shade during the heat of the day and, when their skin is exposed, a high factor, broad spectrum sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before exposure and reapplied every two hours or after an activity that could remove sun cream, such as swimming."

Melanoma Focus has joined with charities, cross-party politicians and medical professionals to call for the removal of VAT on factor 30+ sunscreen to make it more affordable and reduce cases of melanoma skin cancer.

Visit Melanoma Focus for advice about sunscreens.

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