At Cemex UK, a large number of us work outdoors on a regular basis and this month we are raising awareness of the need to protect ourselves from the exposure to UV radiation from the sun.

Too much UV radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage the DNA in our skin cells. DNA tells our cells how to function. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to skin cancer.

There are two main types of skin cancer: Non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer. Finding melanoma at an early stage is crucial; early detection can vastly increase your chances for cure.

Look for anything new, changing or unusual on both sun-exposed and sun-protected areas of the body.

Most moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are harmless – but not always. The ABCDEs below can help you detect melanoma.

The ABCDEs of melanoma

The first five letters of the alphabet are a guide to help you recognise the warning signs of melanoma.

• A is for Asymmetry. Most melanomas are asymmetrical. If you draw a line through the middle of the lesion, the two halves don’t match, so it looks different from a round to oval and symmetrical common mole.
• B is for Border. Melanoma borders tend to be uneven and may have scalloped or notched edges. Common moles tend to have smoother, more even borders.
• C is for Colour. Multiple colours are a warning sign. While benign moles are usually a single shade of brown, a melanoma may have different shades of brown, tan or black. As it grows, the colours red, white or blue may also appear.
• D is for Diameter or Dark. While it’s ideal to detect a melanoma when it is small, it’s a warning sign if a lesion is the size of a pencil eraser (about 6 mm, or ¼ inch in diameter) or larger. Some experts say it is important to look for any lesion, no matter what size, that is darker than others. Rare, amelanotic melanomas are colourless.
• E is for Evolving. Any change in size, shape, colour or elevation of a spot on your skin, or any new symptom in it, such as bleeding, itching or crusting, may be a warning sign of melanoma.

If you notice these warning signs and symptoms, or see anything NEW, CHANGING or UNUSUAL on your skin see a GP promptly.

We have produced a visual guide to identifying your moles. You can find the guide is at the end of this document and on the UK News download page here.

You can also find more information about moles on the NHS website here.