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Skin Smart Campus

Loyola University New Orleans has been recognized as a Skin Smart Campus by The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. Ensuring the well-being of our students, we are providing a safe and healthy learning and living environment on and off campus, pledging to keep indoor tanning devices off our campus and our affiliated buildings. We also promote skin cancer prevention policies and education.

The Indoor Tan-Free Skin Smart Campus Initiative is sponsored by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention in response to the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer which concluded that there is a strong association between increased risk of skin cancer and indoor tanning use.

There is a strong association between increased risk of skin cancer and indoor tanning use. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure from indoor tanning is completely avoidable which allows for interventions to help reduce skin-cancer related illness and deaths. Numerous studies have found that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with melanoma as one of the most common cancers diagnosed among young adults and the use of indoor tanning facilities before the age of 35 increases the risk for melanoma by 75 percent.

GENERAL FACTS:

  • Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and our skin is the largest organ in our body
  • One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and 1 person dies of melanoma every hour
    • The two most common skin cancers (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) are highly curable but can be disfiguring and costly
    • Melanoma (the third most common skin cancer) may be deadly
  • General risk factors include:
    • Light skin, or skin that burns, freckles, or reddens easily
    • Large number of moles
    • Blue or green eyes
    • Blonde or red hair
    • Personal or family history of skin cancer
    • Sun exposure
    • History of sunburns, especially in early life
    • History of indoor tanning
      • A base tan is not a safe tan –- the average tanning bed gives off 2 to 10 times more UVA radiation than the sun
      • Tanned skin is damaged skin – it is a sign of damaged DNA in your body’s skin cells
      • Using tanning beds before the age of 35 increases a person's risk for developing melanoma by 75% with each trip to the tanning bed increasing your risk by 2% each time
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  • The majority of skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light and can be prevented with sun protective behaviors:
    • Seeking shade (especially during the peak sun hours of 10:00am – 2:00pm)
    • Protective clothing
    • Long sleeves and pants, wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses
    • Sunscreen
        • Always select BROAD spectrum UVA and UVB, SPF 30 or higher
        • Reapplication is necessary every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off
        • Wear sunscreen every single day, even when it is cloudy

Warning: Excessive ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure accelerates aging with premature wrinkling, sags and bags, and uneven skin tone. It is estimated that up to 90% of the visible signs of aging are caused by the sun.

  • Visit the App store and download “Sunface” to your mobile phone and take a selfie to see what you will look like in the future!

For more information to promote your skin health, visit these links:

National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention:

Skin Smart Campus: