November- National Healthy Skin Month

It’s time to pay attention to your skin. National Healthy Skin Month each November is sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology. You may not realize it, but your skin reveals a lot about your overall health. This month makes you aware of what it takes to keep your skin healthy as well as understanding how to treat and prevent common skin problems. National Healthy Skin Month stresses how to correctly use sunscreen and offers helpful tips on how to check your skin periodically to prevent skin cancer.

How to Observe National Healthy Skin Month

• Chill out

Put your feet up and manage your stress. Stress makes your skin break out and can make skin conditions like psoriasis much worse. Get your rest — between seven and nine hours a day. Exercise in the fresh air from time to time and breathe.

• Hydrate daily

Sometimes the simplest actions give you the greatest benefits. Hydrating your entire body by drinking eight glasses of water daily is another cool way to moisturize your precious skin. Add lemons and other fruit to make your daily drinks even more refreshing. If plain water is boring, try adding cucumbers as well. Water clears out the dangerous toxins that hurt your skin.

• Check your skin for spots and blemishes

Since November is National Healthy Skin Month, winter is an especially good time to check yourself carefully for spots with unusual shapes or colors that might indicate skin cancer. Look for moles that seem to appear. People with darker complexions aren't exempt from skin cancer. Although skin irregularities are not often apparent on darker skin, people of ethnic backgrounds tend to die more often from skin cancer.

Why National Healthy Skin Month is Important

• Skin problems impact everybody

At some point in our lives, we all have trouble with our skin. National Healthy Skin Month lets us review the common problems and some of the treatments. For example, eight out of 10 Americans suffer with acne at some point in their lives. Acne is a skin disorder that causes pimples to form blackheads or whiteheads from clogged passageways between your oil glands and your skin’s pores. Other skin problems include eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis.

• Skin cancer inspired National Healthy Skin Month

Skin cancer, the most common form of cancer, affects almost 20 percent of the population. For this reason, the American Academy of Dermatology remains committed to informing the public about the danger skin cancer presents. The two most common forms of skin cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. However, the majority of skin cancer-related deaths are due to melanoma.

• Apply sunscreen all year long

Sunscreen is a powerful weapon against skin cancer. Without sunscreen, those pesky ultraviolet rays can do irreparable damage to your skin. Apply your sunscreen even during the winter months. It's recommended that you use an SPF 30 daily in any kind of weather. It also protects against aging and as the commercials put it, "the ravages of time."