Safe tan. An oxymoron.

Skin cancer may be a very preventable malignancy, yet the incidence is increasing at an epidemic rate. Solar ultraviolet radiation is the major carcinogenic agent. The expression "a good healthy tan" is a contradiction; tanning is the biological process of the skin responding to injury. Regular use of a properly selected and applied sunscreen is one of the essential primary prevention strategies for reducing the incidence of skin cancer. Nurses can be instrumental in helping patients/clients understand the dangers of suntanning and the need for protection against solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR).