Australians are streets ahead of South Africans when it comes to taking care of their skin against the harmful UV rays of the sun. Sun damage can be reduced in later years through dermal fillers, Botox and other innovative procedures, but prevention of early ageing from an early age plus taking precautions against skin cancer is far better than fixing the problem later on.   Even though Australians have the highest occurrence as far as skin cancer is concerned (South Africa is second) we can learn a lot about taking care of our skins from them; teaching children from a very young age on how to prevent sun damage goes a long way that will instil a culture of skin care and sun protection throughout their lives. This is why Australia is streets ahead of South Africa regarding prevention of skin cancer in their youth and schools and what we as South Africans have so much to learn from them:

• Because Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, there is an ongoing campaign regarding the care of the skin, especially in their schools where the policy of no hats no play is enforced.
• Most frightening to learn is that every two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they turn 70!
• The major cause of skin cancer and early ageing plus a whole host of skin conditions is the exposure to UV rays from the sun as well as other sources such as tanning beds.
• There is some light at the end of the tunnel though – skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer in South Africa as well as in Australia as over 95% of skin cancers can be treated successfully if discovered early enough.

This is what the SunSmart Campaign run by the Cancer Council of Australia has to say:

• Learners are at school when the UV rays are at their highest which is the perfect time to educate kids about sun protection and behaviour; how they can minimise their exposure to UVR rays and where young people can now join SunSmart programmes being run by schools – sadly South African schools don’t incorporate this kind of sun sducation, making it the responsibility of children learning how to protect themselves from harmful sun rays at home.
• The Cancer Council of Australia launched its National SunSmart programme in 1998 and today it is offered to all Australian primary schools as well as secondary and special schools in certain states.

Exposure to the harmful UV rays of the sun can and does cause various types of skin cancer as well as early ageing of the skin including wrinkles and lines that can add years onto your appearance. You are never, ever too young to take care of your skin – the results will be apparent as you age. The younger you start the better your chances are. That is why using dermal fillers to iron out lines and wrinkles makes sense; the earlier you start, the better the chances are of maintaining a youthful glow for longer. To know about skin problems and skin treatments visit the skin clinic http://dermology.co.za/