Facts that will help you prevent skin cancer
- Skin cancers don't always follow a certain pattern.
- Exposure to sun is not always the cause of skin cancer.
- You must also shield your eyes when outdoors.
- If you're dark skinned, you might not develop skin cancer.
Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer. Most cases of skin cancer are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiations. Below are some facts that you should know to prevent it.
Daily dose of coffee fends off cancer
A study at the Wayne State University School of Medicine suggests that daily dose of coffee may help you fend off skin cancer. According to the researchers, there's a 5 percent drop in your odds of developing non-melanoma skin cancer later in life if you drink a cup of coffee every day.
Skin cancers don't always follow a certain pattern
Most skin conditions have a certain pattern. But, there is no set pattern to how a tumour in the skin may manifest. A type nof skin cancer, amelanotic melanoma, for example, has no brown or black. While the other kind, nodular melanoma, is symmetrical and may have few colours. Don't dismiss an odd-looking or changing mole as it can be skin cancer.
You must also wear sun protective clothing
Yes, SPF protects you from skin cancer. Besides, you also need sun protective clothing to stop UVA rays from inflicting damage to the skin. According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), no matter what broad-spectrum sunscreen you are using, you must wear sun-protective clothing.
Exposure of sun is not necessary to cause cancer
If you live in a place where the sun doesn’t shine, don’t think you wouldn’t get skin cancer. The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause squamous cell carcinoma of the genitals. Women are vulnerable; roughly three times as many females as males die of this cancer.
Don’t step outdoors during noon hours
Avoid peak hours; the harmful UV rays of the sun are strongest when it's directly overhead. Even when it is not particularly hot outside, you might do significant damage to your skin by stepping outside during the peak hours.
Shield your eyes as well
A condition known as ocular skin cancer starts in the eyes. Over the years, the number of cases of ocular skin cancer has increased significantly.
Fair skinned people are the more affected
If you're dark skinned, you are far less likely to devleop skin cancer compared with fairer people. Since UV rays do play a part in all types of skin cancers, people of all skin shades need to protect themselves in the sun.
(Images:Getty)
Read more articles on Skin Cancer.
Source: Onlymyhealth editorial team Feb 27, 2015
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