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    Flip-Flops, Baseball Caps May Raise Risk of Skin Cancer

    WEDNESDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- Wearing flip-flops and baseball caps can increase your risk of skin cancer, an expert warns.

    "Most skin cancers occur on the parts of the body that are repeatedly exposed to the sun," Dr. Rebecca Tung, director of the dermatology division at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., said in a Loyola news release.

    "The problem with flip-flops and baseball caps is that they leave the tips of the ears and the tops of the feet dangerously exposed to sun damage. The potential for skin cancers in those areas are real, especially on the tips of the ears," she explained.

    Before flip-flops and baseball caps became so popular, people generally wore broad-brimmed hats and sneakers or shoes that protected the tips of their ears and the tops of their feet.

    "But now those areas of the body have very little protection," Tung said. "Combine that with the fact that most people using sunscreen frequently overlook those parts of their bodies when applying it. That's not a very good combination."

    Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, accounting for nearly half of all cancers in the nation, according to the American Cancer Society.

    To protect yourself against skin cancer, including the potentially fatal form, melanoma, Tung said you should avoid overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays; use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day; wear protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirt and pants; stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and avoid sunbathing and tanning salons.

    More information

    The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about skin cancer prevention.

     

    9 comments

    • Robert  •  10 mths ago
      Thanks for the information. I think I will go out and buy a football helmet!
    • Widow Maker  •  10 mths ago
      So flip flops and ball caps don't actually RAISE the risk of skin cancer at all really
    • Wow WOW  •  10 mths ago
      Wear this and not that, Eat this and not that! Please doctors give me a break. We are all going to die one day, some sooner than others, so please let us enjoy this life under our beautiful Sun. What doctors dont want to tell us is how much money they make off of us. People ENJOY and HAVE FUN in LIFE - Your grandparents did .
    • Brady  •  10 mths ago
      This is one of the biggest hoaxes of this century.Why is it we never hear about skin cancer in Africa,S.America ?? Its because our skin needs sun.It is usually the northern tier states and Canada and Alaska that have problems with skin cancer.Sun screen is the biggest joke !
    • Billy C  •  10 mths ago
      Do the Hawaiians buy into this?
    • Jeff  •  10 mths ago
      also, flip-flops and baseball hats (if worn backwards) will reduce your perceived IQ by 20 points and make you look like a doofus slacker.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  10 mths ago
      Flip-Flops, worn with socks, and/or Baseball Caps at a 32 degree angle, May Raise Risk of being threatened with a shotgun if you show up to take my daughter on a date.
    • Lauren L  •  10 mths ago
      umm.. hat or not, its the lack of sunscreen/lots of sun exposure thats causing the cancer....
    • Suit of Flames  •  10 mths ago
      If this were true, Jimmy Buffett would be dead, as would his legion of followers. Actually, I hope this is true...
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