A cosmetician passionate about skincare held an awareness session in Winkler recently for skincare and skin cancer prevention.

Jasmine Andrea says she has many clients that come to her wanting to remove pigmentation from sun damage, yet they aren't doing anything to prevent further damage. "A lot of people aren't preventing, I've also had people who've come in who have had skin cancer removed and are still not using a sunscreen."

People may notice sun damage on the surface of the skin but may not realize how deep damage can penetrate says Andrea, and sun protection isn't only for a specific skin type, or a particular time of year, but a year-long endeavour for everyone.

"Sunscreen 365 days a year, because there's UV from the window, UV also reflects off snow, sand, and grass; even if you're doing dishes in your kitchen, there's still UV coming in."

In conjunction with sunscreen applied every two hours, Andrea says people should stay in the shade, wear a sun hat, and sunglasses.

People shouldn't be reluctant to go outdoors and enjoy the sun says Andrea, but remain aware of the dangers UVA and UVB rays can cause, and take the necessary precautions in mitigating those dangers.

During the awareness sessions, visitors could learn more about the potential dangers of sun damage and have a "Dermtool" to look below the surface of their skin to see if they had skin damage.

Andrea hopes to have more sessions in the future with plans to invite dermatologists and skin cancer experts to elaborate more on the topic, and bring in a variety of dermatology equipment to help in visual aid.

If people have moles or beauty marks that are changing shape or have a jagged outline, Andrea recommends visiting a physician or dermatologist.