May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and according to some recent numbers it appears young people need to pay attention now more than ever.
The bright sunshine is one of the most attractive things about Florida, but it can also be one of the most dangerous.
“Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most rapidly rising in the United States,” said Dr. Ragini Kudchadkar, who works at Moffitt Cancer Center.
According to a recent study, young women are eight times more likely to develop skin cancer today than they were 40 years ago. Young men are four times as likely.
Megan Murdoch was diagnosed with skin cancer at just 22 years old.
"It was really scary at first, because you’re like, 'Man, you never expect it to happen to you,'" she said.
Murdoch said she took precautions but it wasn't enough to protect her.
“I would wear sunscreen, but it wasn’t like someone with my skin color should be wearing," she said. "It was like once or twice a day and I’d be at the beach all day long.”
Murdoch said she is recovering but she has to go to the doctor once a month.
Doctors say the key to staying safe while out in the sun is to make sure to wear enough sunscreen.
“I would use SPF 30 or above, UVA or UVB protection, and you have to reapply," Dr. Kudchadkar said. "I have a lot of patients that tell me, but I put it on, but they put it on in the morning and spent hours at the beach.”
Tanning beds are another big reason the number of young people with skin cancer is on the rise.
Researchers say 9,000 people every year die from skin cancer.