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Author:
Jordi Shoman

Like all other forms of cancer, skin cancer is a scary thought. However, there are many obvious defenses you take against the dangers of skin cancer. The development of skin cancer may take many years and it may be a long time before the cancerous cells cause any significant damage, yet there is no better time to begin protecting yourself than the present. If you have very fair skin or have a history of skin cancer in your family it is of particular importance that you be cautious as you are more susceptible to the dangers posed by sun exposure.

While tanning out in the sun on a hot day can be quite relaxing, it can also be a potential invitation for cancerous cells. Thus minimizing your exposure to the sun during the time of day when the sun's ray are the most intense, being 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, is highly advised. If you cannot avoid being in the sun for an extended period of time then you should apply sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of at least 15 to all areas of the body visible to the sun. Be sure to reapply every so often as well. Being sure to wear clothing that properly protects areas of the body that have been burned in previous years is advisable as well.

If you attend tanning parlors frequently you are also increasing your risk of developing skin cancer. Though the ultraviolet light emitted by a tanning bed is essentially artificial, it is no less dangerous than the light emitted by the sun. If anything the direct exposure received in a tanning bed has the potential to become more dangerous, especially since one can attend tanning parlors all year round. It is also vitally important for children to be especially well protected from the sun, as they are more susceptible to skin damage from ultraviolet light.

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| Article Keywords: Skin Cancer

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Skin Cancer... Skin Cancer: Clarifying the Three Types There are three main types of skin cancers. Melanoma is a skin cancer that starts in moles and can spread rapidly through your body and kill you. Moles that have irregular borders and multiple colors should be removed to be checked for melanoma. Moles that have smooth circular borders and are of one color are almost never melanoma cancers. The second type of skin cancer is called squamous cell cancer. These can occasionally spread through the body and be fatal. The third and most common type, basal cell skin cancer, rarely spreads through the body and can be cured just by taking out 100 percent of the lesion. They are called cancers because they keep on growing through everything around them until they are completely removed. Basal cell skin cancers fall apart and feel like marshmallows when they are scraped. All a doctor has to do is to inject an anaesthetic into the lesion, scrape the basal cell cancer until he feels the hard resistance of normal skin. He then burns an area of normal skin around the lesion to guarantee the removal of the entire cancer. You can suspect that you have a basal cell skin cancer when you develop a red scaly area on the surface of a light-exposed area of skin. That is probably an actinic keratosis that can often be removed just by applying a special cream called imiquimod. However, if you leave the red area in place, it can go deeper and became a skin cancer. You can suspect that the actinic keratosis has gone deeper when the surface feels rough like sandpaper. If you let it grow further, it can become an elevated area with a fine pearly border. Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or...