Money Monday!

Good financial management includes healthy living.  I want you to be able to enjoy the retirement for which you have spent so many years saving.   Additionally, healthcare can be expensive and can add to your overall spending throughout your life.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m sharing some tips that may help protect you from Melanoma.  Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in the United States with over 5 million cases diagnosed each year.

If you have an area of your skin that is causing concern, below, you will find the Mayo Clinic’s ABCDE method for identifying unusual moles that may indicate melanomas or other skin cancers:

• A is for Asymmetrical shape. Look for moles with irregular shapes, such as two very different-looking halves.
• B is for irregular Border.  Look for moles with irregular, notched or scalloped borders.
• C is for changes in Color.  Look for growths that have many colors or an uneven distribution of color.
• D is for Diameter.  Look for new growths in a mole larger than 1/4 inch (about 6 millimeters).
• E is for Evolving.  Look for changes over time, such as a mole that grows in size or that changes color or shape. Moles may also evolve to develop new signs and symptoms, such as new itchiness or bleeding.

The good news is that skin cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer.  About 90% of nonmelanoma and 85% of melanoma cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Here are some tips to protect yourself from Melanoma:

1. Seek out shade during the sun’s peak hours of 10AM-4PM.
2. Avoid tanning beds. 
3. Cover up exposed skin including a hat and UV blocking sunglasses.
4. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day on exposed skin.
5. Apply 2 tablespoons of sunscreen before going outside and reapply every 2 hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
6. See your dermatologist every year for a full body skin exam. 

 

 

 

Any opinions are those of Wheeler Financial LLC and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Past performance may not be indicative of future results.  Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.