Excellent advice!

I'm paying now for my childhood sunburns. I was diagnosed with melanoma in April 2014. I have a skin check by my dermatologist and a visit to the oncologist every 6 months for 3 more years. The scary thing about melanoma is that it isn't just skin cancer. It can crop up in other areas of the body. Jimmy Carter had melanoma on his brain and liver. Using a experimental trial drug, Keytruda, he was recently diagnosed as cancer free. It irks me when people say it's "just" skin cancer. Like it doesn't count or isn't serious. Also, most people don't apply enough sunscreen. My dermatologist and oncologist say to think about the amount in a shot glass. And it needs to be applied frequently, like rhizo said. Not just once in the morning before you leave the house for the day.

And put the sunscreen on every day, not just really sunny days. Sunscreen on overcast days is important, too.

Although not common, squamous cell carcinomas can be deadly, too.

I'm home this evening from several hours on the water on a brilliantly sunny day. I used product with an SPF 30 on my whole body, including under my shirt, then another screen with an SPF 45 on my face, ears, and back of my hands. Also wore a hat and situated myself under the bimini for most of the day.

Result: no signs of sun burn at all, yay!

It's not just sunburns that can cause cancer. Too much sun exposure, even without burning can lead to skin cancer. The only place I ever sunburned is the backs of my knees. The only place I've had skin cancer (x3) is on my face.

Excellent point, Lindsey.

And melanoma isn't just cancer of the skin:

Melanoma is classified in a few different ways:

• Cutaneous melanoma, which occurs on the skin and is the most common type of melanoma
• Mucosal melanoma, a rare form of melanoma that occurs in the mucous membranes, such as the nasal passages, throat, vagina, anus or mouth
• Ocular melanoma (or uveal melanoma), a rare form of melanoma that occurs in the eye

Melanoma