WE DO THE CDC SAYS SKIN CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF CANCER IN THE US AND WITH THE HEAT MOVING INTO THE STATE IN THESE COMING DAYS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOURSELF PROTECTED FROM THE SUN’S RAYS. DERMATOLOGIST DR. MATTHEW LEBOEUF WITH DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK JOINS US LIVE NOW. DR., IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. FEELS LIKE SUMMER JUST GOT HERE, RIGHT? SO WE ALL WANT TO BE AT THE BEACH. WE ALL WANT TO BE POOLSIDE. BUT YOU REALLY NEED TO COME PREPARED. SO IF YOU COULD RATTLE OFF LIKE 1 OR 2 TOP TIPS THAT YOU ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, WHAT WOULD YOU START WITH? YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGEST TIP, RIGHT IS PUTTING ON YOUR SUNSCREEN TO START PUTTING ON 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOU DO WHATEVER ACTIVITY YOU’RE GOING TO DO. AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT’S GOING TO BE TO REAPPLY SUNSCREEN TO YOUR ENTIRE BODY EVERY TWO HOURS. THINK THAT’S WHERE SOMETIMES WE GET IN A LITTLE TROUBLE IS FORGETTING TO REAPPLY WHEN WE’RE HAVING SO MUCH FUN OUT IN THE SUN. AND DOCTOR, WHEN IS IT TIME TO SEE A DOCTOR LIKE YOURSELF OR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR SKIN OR FOR A SKIN CHECK? AND WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE LOOKING FOR ON THEIR BODIES? YEAH, THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. SO MEAN THINK ANYTIME THERE’S THERE’S A NEW OR NEW SPOT THAT’S CHANGING ON YOUR SKIN. THINK IT’S A GOOD TIME TO SEE SOMEONE AND YOU KNOW DO THINK THAT HOW WE TAKE CARE OF OUR SKIN EVOLVES OVER OVER OUR LIFETIME. SO IT’S NEVER A BAD IDEA TO TO FIND A DERMATOLOGIST THAT YOU CAN BUILD A TRUST RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT WILL EVOLVE OVER TIME AND THAT YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PERSON. SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST BUILD IT INTO YOUR HEALTH CARE PLAN OVERALL. SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS. WE KNOW OBVIOUSLY THE WORST SORT OF SKIN CANCER WOULD BE MELANOMA. BUT DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY COMPONENT OF MELANOMA OR IS IT ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE? IT’S SO SO MELANOMA COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS. WE KNOW THAT. AND WE KNOW THAT IN SOME CASES THERE’S A FAMILY COMPONENT TO IT. BUT WE ALSO KNOW IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES, IT REALLY IS IT’S SUN EXPOSURE. AND MANY TIMES AS WE GET A LITTLE BIT OLDER, THE AMOUNT OF SUN EXPOSURE THAT WE’VE HAD OVER TIME, OTHER THINGS THAT WE MIGHT THINK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU HAVE YOU SPENT SOME TIME IN A TANNING BOOTH? WE KNOW THAT THAT THAT’S SOMETHING THAT WILL ELEVATE YOUR RISK OF MELANOMA. SO SO THOSE THOSE THREE FACTORS ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE MIGHT JUST WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT OUR RISKS ARE AND DR. AS WE’VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU, WE’VE BEEN SEEING IMAGES OF THE LAKES REGION OUT ON THE SEACOAST. YOU KNOW, WE LOVE THE SUMMER HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT IT’S SO SHORT. WE HAVE SUCH A LONG WINTER. YOU KNOW, OUR FALL SEASON, SPRING SEASON, THE SHOULDER SEASONS ARE PRETTY LONG AS WELL. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RISK LEVEL, ARE WE JUST THINKING ABOUT SUMMERTIME OR REALLY SHOULD WE BE THINKING ALL YEAR? THAT IS AN AMAZING QUESTION WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT ALL YEAR AND THE REASON THAT IS, IS THAT WHEN WE’RE OUT, WE’RE OUT SKIING IN THE WINTER OR WE JUMP INTO THE LAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IN MAY OR JUNE, OUR SKIN’S NOT NECESSARILY READY FOR A TON OF SUN YET. SO WE HAVE TO REALLY BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE TIMES. ALSO APPLYING SUN PROTECTIVE PRODUCTS TO PROTECT OUR SUN AND PREVENT THOSE REALLY BAD SUNBURNS THAT SOMETIMES ARE AT RISK FOR. AND DR. LEBOEUF, ABOUT THOSE PRODUCTS YOU’VE GOT AN ARRAY. SOMETIMES IT STANDS SIX FEET TALL AT THE DRUGSTORE OF ALL SORTS OF SUNSCREENS AND SUNBLOCK THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM. SO DO USE THE SPRAY. DO YOU USE THE GEL? DO YOU USE THE CREAM AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT’S THE BEST ONE FOR YOU? SPF LEVEL, ALL OF THAT AND A GREAT QUESTION, I THINK, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS WHICH ONE WILL YOU ACTUALLY USE? RIGHT. THAT THAT’S IMPORTANT. OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT WE REALLY WANT YOU TO USING SOMETHING SPF 30 OR GREATER WITH THAT REAPPLICATION EVERY TWO HOURS AND THAT PARTICULAR PRODUCT REALLY IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL. SOME FOLKS DON’T WANT TO WEAR A PRODUCT BECAUSE IT FEELS FUNNY OR IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD. WE’LL TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT FEELS THAT FEELS OKAY FOR YOU. TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT’S EASY TO REAPPLY LIKE A SPRAY. SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT USING SOMETHING SPF 30 OR GREATER AND THEN REAPPLYING EVERY TWO HOURS. DR. MATTHEW LEBOEUF JOINING US FROM DARTMOUTH HEALTH. GREAT TIPS. WE APPRECIATE IT. ENJOY YOUR TIM