Skincare Superhero
- Actress Michelle Monaghan is a leading lady on the big screen in box-office films like Mission Impossible: III and Gone Baby Gone.
- The Iowa-born beauty, 45, is also a melanoma survivor, and dedicates a lot of time in her life to melanoma awareness and skin protection.
- 90% of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, according to a leading expert who discussed these topics with SurvivorNet.
The skin-savvy star, who also lit up the small screen with A-Listers Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in HBO’s True Detective, encourages fans to share their #SunSafeSelfies on their social media to help promote further awareness.
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Monaghan held an Instagram Live interview session yesterday with one of her skin care idols, Nyakio Grieco, co-founder of thirteen lune. The ladies had a conversation about skin safety and cancer prevention.
Related: Tennis Star Naomi Osaka is Serving Up Sunscreen; How to Protect Your Skin from Cancer
Monaghan asked an important question about applying daily SPF after getting out of the shower. How do you layer your skincare protection and products? “What came first, the chicken or the egg? Do I put on my SPF first then my moisturizer or serum?”
“I go from thinnest to thickest,” Grieco answers, explaining that using a vitamin C serum helps the sunscreen work better.
“SPF should be the last thing on your skin, it will provide that barrier to protect you from the sun, protect you from that blue light and really help your products work better. Vitamin C serum is great to use to increase the power of your SPF,” she says.
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A Melanoma Diagnosis
Monaghan was diagnosed with melanoma in 2012, and shared her skin health story with the Skin Cancer Foundation last year.
"I don't recall ever using sunscreen as a kid," she said of growing up in the midwest. "Our intention was to always get a tan over the summer school break. We thought, 'It's cold for seven months out of the year, so let's get some sun-kissed skin while we can.' Never mind doing it responsibly."
With hardcore summer tanning and some trips to the tanning bed before prom, Monaghan admits her regret. "I definitely take responsibility for not having proper skin health as a young person, and we know that's when a lot of the sun damage occurs."
Monaghan’s husband, Australian graphic designer Peter White, noticed the changing shape of the mole on her leg, and pestered his wife until she went in for an appointment.
"There's a high rate of skin cancer in Australia, so he had been educated about it in school,” Monaghan explained. “They learned the importance of applying sunscreen regularly, protecting their skin and the ABCDEs of melanoma. I wasn't familiar with skin cancer. It wasn't something I was informed about, so I didn't take the prospect of getting skin cancer seriously."
Related: Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE
Monaghan was shocked when she got the news. “'This is serious'” she recalls her doctor saying. “‘You need to come back in now, and we need to take this out.'" Monaghan’s doctor removed the tumor, and luckily she cleared margins.
"I now see a dermatologist twice a year,” she explained. “I get a mole or two removed (and checked) most years just as a precautionary measure. I'd rather be safe than sorry I don't want a repeat performance!"
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That means you're at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the suneven as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it's important to get your skin checked.
Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body.
Most of her patients are those “who have had scalding sunburns as children, patients who have had excessive sun exposure, patients who go to tanning salons because they thought that having a tan was the healthy thing to do.”
Melanomas can occur, however, in areas that are not sun exposed, such as the sinuses, the back of the eye, the anal/rectal area, and also in areas of your body that were just not exposed to sun.
The Sun is Not Your Friend Most Melanomas are Caused by Sun Exposure
Protecting Yourself From the Sun
In addition to shading yourself from the sun and doing your best to cover up, getting regular skin checks are a must. Monaghan put her check-up off, and thanks to her husband, finally got in. She may have been in trouble by the time she finally caught her melanoma.
Dr. Dendy Engelman, an NYC dermatologist, tells SurvivorNet the top five ways to protect your skin from skin cancer.
- Avoid sun during peak hours This means from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It doesn't mean you should never go outside during the middle of the day, but make sure you're protected when you do venture outdoors.
- Cover your skin and eyes A wide brim hat and sun glasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
- Wear an SPF of 30 or higher Plenty of facial moisturizers have SPF built into them. Dr. Engelman also recommends reapplying every few hours, or after excessive sweating or swimming.
- Get an annual skin check You can check your own skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to make sure you didn't miss anything. If you do happen to notice anything out of the ordinary in between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about it ASAP it is always worth it to make sure.
- Avoid tanning beds This one is obvious … but just a reminder, tanning beds can significantly increase your risk of developing melanoma. If you feel like you're just too pale, Dr. Engelman recommends a sunless tanner. "There's absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed," she said.Even if you live in an area with cold winters, like Monaghan did in Iowa, you still need to protect your skin. Some experts argue that people living in cold-weather states need to protect themselves even more because their skin isn't as used to those summer months and they may burn more easily.
Top 5 Things to Protect Yourself from the Sun
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