How to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer
The skin is your body’s largest organ, so take good care of it. Reduce your risk of developing skin cancer by following these straightforward guidelines.
Sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer. Not just from sunbathing but from all sorts of professional or recreational outdoor activities.
1. Stay out of the sun between noon and 3 PM when the sun’s rays are strongest.
2. Cover your skin with clothes and headwear as they provide better UV protection than sunscreen.
3. Use high SPF sunscreen of 30-50 on all exposed skin including the face, neck, chest, backs of hands, and forearms.
4. Reapply sunscreen immediately after swimming and towel-drying.
5. Refrain from sunbathing and avoid using sunbeds or sunlamps.
These behaviors increase your risk of developing skin cancer
- Spending extended periods outside in the sun, especially between noon and 3 PM.
- Sunbathing, vacationing for the purpose of sun exposure.
- Using a tanning bed.
- Neglecting sun protection like clothing and sunscreen.
- Developing painful sunburns.
- Working outdoors, e.g., as a landscaper.
- Outdoor activities, especially water sports, due to the 25% higher UV radiation.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes more than 90% of skin cancer cases.