Skin cancer is a disease that receives more headlines and article column inches than ever before. Is this an indication that the disease is on the rise because people are more at risk to the causes of skin cancer. Or simply that the public information campaigns have made people more alert to spotting warning signs and getting them checked out by their doctors. The answer is probably a bit of both. So what causes skin cancer ? This article will answer this question and detail who is most at risk on getting the disease.

The most likely way a person will get skin cancer is by being exposed to sunlight for too long. Do you remember when having a suntan was a sign of health and people used fake tans or sun beds to keep that healthy glow throughout the year ?

Well things have changed nowadays. This is especially the case in areas where the sun is very strong and the ozone layer is not as thick as it used to be. Today, people are advised to wear a shirt rather than stripping off to get a bronzed torso. They are advised to wear a hat. And above all it is recommended to wear 30+ sun protection factor sunscreen.

The bottom line is that over exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time will lead to some form of skin cancer. The degree or quantity of over exposure that a person may need before they show signs of skin cancer depends on their skin type.

A person whose skin burns quickly in the sun is most at risk to skin cancer. The telltale signs of burning are the skin turning red, puffing up or peeling. Ultimately it is sore to touch and may last a few days before the pain recedes. Pain is the body’s way of saying something is wrong. People often ignore the pain to the long term detriment of the skin and health.

People that burn easily are people that have less melanin. Melanin is the substance found in the skin, hair and eyes and is responsible for producing pigmentation or color. People with less melanin will have fairer skin, red or blond hair and lighter colored irises. The most pronounced case of deficiency of melanin is known as Albinism. Albinos have little or no color in their skin, hair and eyes.

The purpose of melanin in the skin is to protect it from the causes of skin cancer by darkening it. Darkening, also known as a sun tan, helps the skin to resist burning and thus skin cancer. Without melanin a person would be at risk to the UV radiation that comes from the sun. Albinos are particularly at risk and must cover themselves well when in the sun.

The use of equipment that increases the exposure to ultra violet radiation will also put a person at risk to getting skin cancers. This is the case with the sunbed. The sun bed has long been used to top up a tan during the colder months or just before going on vacation. It is thought that over use of sunbeds can lead to skin cancer.

To end, you must protect yourself against Ultraviolet radiation. This is the leading cause of skin cancer and most people are exposed to it from the sun. Whenever you are in the sun, wear clothes to protect your body.Wear and hat and sunglasses for your head and eyes. And rub sunscreen into areas of the body that are directly exposed to sunlight.