Dermatologists to check lifeguards’ skin for free

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Wrightsville Beach lifeguards will soon hit the stands but first some dermatologists want to get them checked out.

The doctors at the Wilmington Dermatology Center say they do this every year and they have even found pre-cancerous spots on some of these lifeguards. Dermatologist Rosalyn George said they will check about 30 ocean rescue team members for free Thursday after business hours.

“With 1 in 5 Americans developing skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, and the diagnosis of skin cancer more prevalent than all other cancers combined; educating the community on the dangers of sun damage and how to protect your skin is huge part of what we do at Wilmington Dermatology Center,” George said.

George said they started doing this because lifeguards are in the sun more often than most people and she says they just wanted to give back to the community. She said they always have a good turnout.

“We find that educating the community on the dangers of skin cancer and methods for prevention are an important first step; and what better way to raise public awareness than by providing skin checks to the ocean rescue team who keep a watchful eye on us throughout the summer at the beach,” George said.

George said it only takes about two minutes to get your skin checked for these kinds of things.