By Dr Marion Morkel, 20 January 2021

As we welcome a new year, we find ourselves in one of the hottest months of summer. Skin Cancer Awareness Months take place from 1 December to 31 January to encourage South Africans to be skin smart given the high rate of skin cancer in South Africa.

Dr Marion Morkel, Chief Medical Officer at Sanlam, explains that while you should be skin smart when it comes to sun exposure, moderate sun exposure elevates your mood, improves your sleep, promotes bone growth and helps strengthen your immune system, so the sun should not be avoided completely.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), South Africa has one of the highest skin cancer rates globally. So, how much sun is too much and what can you do to safeguard yourself from skin cancer? Practising skin-smart habits from an early age can help to reduce your risk of getting skin cancer. Dr Morkel explains that the risk increases with age and with years of exposure to the sun, which is why it is important to not only adopt skin-smart habits but also to ensure that you have the right cover should you be diagnosed with skin cancer and need treatment.

Sanlam offers comprehensive Severe Illness Cover and a unique Cancer-only Benefit that covers all stages of malignant melanoma from stage I to IV; basal cell skin carcinoma or squamous cell skin carcinoma (stage I or II), skin graft or skin flaps; and all non-melanoma skin cancer, diagnosed as stage III or IV.

Below, Dr Morkel discusses skin-smart habits to adopt from all ages to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer.

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Sanlam Ltd. published this content on 20 January 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 26 January 2021 14:29:06 UTC