The rise of melanoma among children and young adults has reached scary proportions as melanoma is increasing more than 300 percent over the past three-to-four decades.

Doctors have seen the epidemic hit young females the hardest as they are at the highest risk levels for the deadly cancer diagnosis.

Most of this information regarding the melanoma epidemic is related to a study by researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute--located in Buffalo, New York.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is the most common cancer for young adults. The most common cases are seen in ages 25 to 29. The truly scary part is the second most common form of cancer is seen in the ages of 15 to 20 years.

The numbers of cases for melanoma are mounting over the last two decades. This is despite widespread innovations in technology, educational prevention efforts, and the advancements of detection.

Researchers now estimate that one in 50 Americans will develop serious surgically required melanoma–the rarest and deadliest type of skin cancer in the world.

“Physicians have evolved in our ability to identify melanomas in the past 20 plus years. Technology is now available to perform cancer removal without surgery; innovations in the identification and treatment protocols alone likely do not explain the increased number of melanomas,” said Dr. George Verghese, a board-certified Dermatologist based in Maryland who is the Washington DC areas leading skin cancer specialist.

Take these steps to protect your skin:

Stay Out of The Sun

• When you are out in the sun, wear clothes and hats that cover as much skin as possible.

Wear Shades

• Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV light.

Sun Screen

• Use a sunscreen with SPF of at least 30.
• Reapply at least every hour, regardless of if you’re swimming, working out, or sweating.

Find Shade

• Limit your exposure to the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.
• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.