How You Can Prevent Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is cancer cells that form in the tissues of the skin. If it is in the cells that pigment the body it is called a melanoma, if it is in the cells that don't pigment the skin it is a basal, or squamous cell, carcinoma. There are an estimated million new cases in the United States each year and two thousand deaths per year from skin cancer. But you don't have to be a statistic; there are ways to help curb your chances of getting skin cancer if you know how to prevent it.

No Tanning

This is an obvious way. Stay out of the sun. The ultraviolet A and B rays (UVA and UVB) will damage your skin leading to premature aging, cancer, and other abnormalities. A tanning bed is no better, as they use ultraviolet rays as well. Both UVA and UVB rays can harm skin, UVA rays (which tanning beds use and are touted as "safer") just take longer to damage the skin than UVB rays.

Check your Body

If you have new or suspicious moles and freckles coming up on areas most exposed to the sun (i.e. face, head, ears, hands, shoulders, back, men's chests, legs, or forearms) they should be checked out to see if it is a possible skin cancer. If a mole or freckle bleeds, grows fast, becomes scaly or crusty, looks like a sore that won't heal, or itches, you will need to get it checked out. Become familiar with the ABCDE method of checking skin spots for possible skin cancer:

Asymmetry: When half of the mole does not match with the other half in size.

Border: When the edges or borders of a mole are irregular, blurry, and jagged.

Color: When the color of a mole is not the same, has shades of tan, brown, black, blue, white, or red.

Diameter: When the diameter of the mole in question is over the size of a normal pencil eraser.

Elevation: When part of the mole is raised or becomes elevated from the rest of the skin on the mole.

Know Your Risks