{"id":18425,"date":"2026-05-28T09:39:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=18425"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:39:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:39:03","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-highlights-the-importance-of-skin-protection-to-prevent-cancer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-highlights-the-importance-of-skin-protection-to-prevent-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Highlights the Importance of Skin Protection to Prevent Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>May 28, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:<\/strong> Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Highlights the Importance of Skin Protection to Prevent Cancer<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 It\u2019s the time of the year when people of all ages are spending more time outdoors and have more exposure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/skin-cancer\/sun-safety\/index.html\">ultraviolet (UV) light<\/a>. Skin cancer is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/skin-cancer\/statistics\/index.html\">most common type of cancer<\/a> in the United States. <a href=\"https:\/\/ephtracking.cdc.gov\/Applications\/melanomadashboard\/\">Melanoma<\/a>\u00a0is the most serious type of skin cancer and it is the sixth most common type of cancer in Virginia. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aad.org\/public\/public-health\/awareness-campaigns\/skin-cancer-awareness-month\">Skin Cancer Awareness Month<\/a>\u00a0is the perfect time to make your skin a priority. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health Department encourages everyone to take the necessary steps to protect your skin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSkin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, yet it is also one of the most preventable,\u201d said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director J. Carr, M.D. \u201cDuring Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to take simple protective measures, such as using sunscreen, seeking shade, and wearing protective clothing, to reduce their risk and protect their long-term health.\u201d<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The sun can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Too much exposure to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/risk-prevention\/sun-and-uv\/uv-radiation.html\">UV<\/a>\u00a0light can put you at risk for skin cancer. The good news is that it\u2019s preventable. Finding skin cancer early improves the chances of it being treated successfully.<\/p>\n<p>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District recommends taking steps to avoid skin cancer by following these preventative measures.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wear sunscreen <\/strong>containing a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours or after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wear protective clothing <\/strong>like wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long sleeves and pants when possible.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spend time in the shade.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid peak sunlight hours <\/strong>between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aad.org\/public\/diseases\/skin-cancer\/find\/check-skin\">Regular skin self-exams<\/a> are especially important for those who may be at higher risk of skin cancer. These groups include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>People with reduced immunity.<\/li>\n<li>Those who have previously had skin cancer.<\/li>\n<li>Individuals with excessive moles or other skin spots.<\/li>\n<li>Anyone who may have a strong family history of skin cancer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you find something unusual on your skin, contact your health care provider so that it can be evaluated and treated early.<\/p>\n<p>For additional information on how to protect yourself, contact the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health Department at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a>\u00a0or email <a href=\"mailto:cancer@vdh.virginia.gov\">cancer@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 28, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Highlights the Importance of Skin Protection to Prevent Cancer May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 It\u2019s the time of the year when people of all ages are spending more time outdoors and have more exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1080,1075,1074],"class_list":["post-18425","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-skin-cancer","tag-sun-protection","tag-sun-safety"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Highlights the Importance of Skin Protection to Prevent Cancer - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-highlights-the-importance-of-skin-protection-to-prevent-cancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Highlights the Importance of Skin Protection to Prevent Cancer - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"May 28, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. 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