Valley woman creates jewelry as a reminder of sun dangers

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PHOENIX -- A few years ago, Dawn Anderson noticed an irritating red dot on her chest where her necklace pendant would hang.  She said she thought it the necklace was causing the mark, but when she finally went to the doctor to get it checked out, Anderson learned it was skin cancer.

"I was scared to death," Anderson said, explaining that the doctors used and acid peel to remove the basal cell carcinoma from her chest.

"My biggest fear was the scars," she said.  "I didn't know what was going to happen and what it was going to look like," she said pointing to a faint discoloration on her chest area near her neck.

Anderson, an interior designer, said she used to lay in the sun as a kid in Wisconsin and disregarded warnings to wear sunscreen. 

Now, she said she wears SPF 70 sunscreen everyday, and she's trying to promote skin cancer awareness by making and selling bracelets that contain beads that react with UV rays from the sun and change color when they are exposed to the light.

"When you're wearing the bracelet and it lights up in the sun, you know that you need to get some protection on," she said, explaining that her bracelets sell for $7 and she also makes necklaces, which sell for $14.

"The important thing, if you're going to use beads as a reminder, is put them where you're going to see them," said Dr. Paul English, a dermatologist with offices in Ahwatukee and Gilbert.

English, who also sells UV-reacting beads and keychain-making kits at his dermatology offices, said there are more than a million cases of basal cell carcinoma in the United States every year.

He said the beads are a good way to get children involved in a skin care routine.
"Having something that's fun, that they can visually see ... if it reminds them to wear sunblock then that's good," he said. 

First, he said, people must remember to wear protective clothing and to limit their time outdoors when the sun is the most dangerous.  Also, he said, sunscreen is very important when spending more than a few minutes in the sun.