A skin cancer imageSkin Cancer: Precautions To Reduce Your Risks W Bennett

Too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure can have a damaging effect on your skin. Are you rightly managing your skin's health?

Be alerted to skin changes due to cancer. If you suspect you have a skin condition make sure to get it diagnosed without delay.

Cancer Triggers: Everyone who's exposed to UV light is at risk of getting sunburn. Sun damage increases the risk of skin cancer. Basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma carcinoma are three types of skin cancer that happens due to excessive sun exposure.

Its smart to learn more or know about UV rays and how to reduce your risks of skin cancer.Blistering sunburns throughout your life more than doubles your risk of melanoma. Every burn adds to the risk of skin cancers.

Risk Factors: People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors arise from family or personal history of skin cancer or a history of sunburns. Certain types of moles or skin that become irritated easily by the sun is also susceptible

Even though most skin cancers are a direct result of exposure to the UV rays in sunlight, any UV exposure regardless of type is unsafe and harmful to your healthy skin.

Cancer has been linked to exposure to some artificial sources of UV rays such as tanning booths.Use of tanning beds or booths tends to pose a higher risk of skin cancer.

Cancer Types: Risk factors vary for different types of skin cancer. Heres what you should know about them:

Basal Cell: Carcinoma, this is the most common type of skin cancer. Even though this type of skin cancer is usually not deadly, it can be extremely destructive if left undiagnosed or untreated.

Basal cell cancers tend to be found on sun-exposed parts of the body, and their occurrence is typically related to lifetime sun exposure.

Squamous Cell: Carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma can grow deep into the skin to cause damage, it is found on sun-exposed parts of the body. Also, squamous cell cancers are more serious than basal cell cancers.

Melanoma Cancer: Melanoma is a less common type of skin cancer usually accounts for less than 2% of skin cancers. But, melanomas cause most of skin cancer deaths. The risk of melanoma is also related to sun exposure although perhaps not as strongly.

Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body however, it often appears on the face. The warning signs of melanoma are usually found in changes to an existing mole or in an abnormal-looking mole.

Detection: Early detection is important because it increases the chance of survival. Most skin cancers are curable, especially if found and treated early. Even melanoma has a better longevity trajectory if treated early.

Here are some tip-offs that should alert you to skin cancer. The things to look out for are changes in the shape of a mole as well as skin colour or shades changes. Also, size and textures such as crusty or itchy areas of skin.

In addition, an open sore that will not heal, nodules, pinkish growths or scar-like areas

Precautions: Take precautions with your skin. There are steps you can follow to limit the skin damage. That means using sunscreen, covering up with clothing and hats, wearing sunglasses, and avoiding the sun as much as possible.

Protection/Prevention: Protecting against daily direct or indirect exposure to the sun is important. It is critical to protect your skin and avoid getting burnt.

If you plan to be out in the sun long enough to risk burning, sunscreen must be.applied. Wear sunscreento help you protect yourself from getting skin cancer:

Stay sun-safe by putting on sunscreen to all areas of exposed skin, including your face, neck and ears.