What Causes Skin Cancer? 3 Easiest Ways to Protect from Sun
Knowing that more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the US is really scary. This makes skin cancer the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the US. But you need to know this: both non-melanoma and melanoma cases can be prevented. With a few easy steps, protecting your skin no matter which season is and how the weather is looking is crucial.
What is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is caused by unrepaired DNA damage that triggers a mutation. Abnormal cells in the skin’s outermost layer are hard to control, they multiply and form malignant tumors.
Two main causes of skin cancer are ultraviolet rays (UV rays) and the usage of self-tanning beds. These things are not written to scare you. On the contrary, it is crucial to be conscious of the damage that UV rays can do and to protect the skin from a young age.
Three main types of skin cancer are Melanoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Basal Cell Carcinoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous one, forming from the skin cells that produce melanin pigment.
Skin Cancer Risk Factors
A risk factor for cancer is something that doctors use to explain the chances of contracting the disease. However, this doesn’t mean that you will surely get cancer, nor does the absence of several factors mean that you won’t have it.
- Some factors that correlate with skin cancer are:
- Over-exposure to UV rays, including burns, tans, and in general total time spent in the open unprotected
- Tendency to develop moles
- A lighter skin tone, especially prone to burns and freckles
- Light hair, especially blonde and red
- Blue or green eyes
- A condition that affect your immune system
- Having a family history of skin cancer
3 Easy and Simple Ways to Protect From Sun
Wear Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen Daily
It is essential to wear sunscreen every day. Even when you see only clouds outside you have to apply it as the last step of your routine. Sunscreen is the first line of defense. Two types of UV rays can cause damage to your skin - UVA and UVB. UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin, causing premature aging, and UVB rays affect the surface of the skin, causing burns.
You need to use good quality sunscreen that can protect you all day. Even though, you need to reapply it so you don’t burn. Gymsegbe’s Haabaek Sun Protection moisturizer has broad-spectrum protection with SPF 50. It is worth having it as a part of your regular skincare routine.
Don’t Visit Tanning Beds
Even though many influencers and superstars are going to tan beds and even promoting them, they should be avoided at all costs. In fact, lights that are inside tanning beds can emit UV radiation that is ten to fifteen times bigger than it is from the sun? Don’t let society convince you that tan skin is beautiful and that tan beds are fine. You can still be tanned without potentially harming your health.
Stay Out of Sun from 10am to 4pm
Sun rays are the strongest in the middle of the day. Meaning, they can damage your skin quicker than other days. If you can, avoid going outside in the period after 10am and before 4 pm. Otherwise, protect yourself, eat lunch in the shade of the umbrella, and stay under the trees in the park.
