5 Surprising Things That Increase Your Skin Cancer Risk
It’s currently estimated that one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer. Dallas’s Dermatology Office of Dr. Ellen Turner reminds patients that sometimes the causes of this disease aren’t always obvious. Taking in a few minutes of exposure to sunlight is good for our overall health and wellbeing, but the radiation that’s given off from sunlight or artificial sources penetrates the skin and damages the DNA of cells when we are exposed to too much of it.
Most of us already know the basics about sun protection and that we need to be wearing sunblock as often as we can. It goes without saying that spending hours sunbathing outside on a hot summer day at the beach with no protection will be too much for your skin to cope with, but there are also some lesser-known stressors that can be highly damaging to our skin without us even being aware of it.
Continue reading for the top five sneaky causes of skin cancer you may not have known about before.
1. Driving Without Wearing Sunscreen
Since the era of social distancing first began, people are relying less on public transport and using their own cars in an effort to stay safe. Even though you might feel like your car gives you some protection, many people don’t realize that UV radiation gets in through car windows and reaches exposed skin. In fact, since drivers in the United States sit on the left side of the car, skin cancers occur more frequently on the left side of the body in the country.
2. Applying Expired Sunscreen
Be sure to check the dates on the sunscreens you’ve been using, as they expire after a few years, causing them to be less effective at protecting your skin. People often discover too late (after getting sunburned) that they were using old sunscreen. Most sunscreens expire after around three years.
3. Higher Elevation
High altitudes—whether living in a mountainous area or being a frequent flyer—put you at a higher risk for skin cancer. To put it simply, the higher you are, the closer you are to the sun, with fewer layers of atmosphere to protect you. The level of UV radiation increases while the thinner air at a higher elevation also doesn’t absorb UV rays as effectively. The spacesuits worn by astronauts are composed of heavy fabrics that are designed to filter out UV rays and visor materials that protect their eyes from UV damage.
4. Getting a Base Tan
For a long time, base tans—a slow, gradual tanning of the skin that’s achieved over a long time—were believed to give us a healthy glow and provide some protection against burning, especially when it’s done before vacationing. However, there’s little evidence to suggest that having a base tan will actually protect your skin or that it’s a replacement for standard forms of sun protection. Scientists believe that any form of tanning, especially frequent or prolonged tanning, increases the risk of skin cancer.
5. Forgetting to Protect Certain Areas
We often focus on slathering sunscreen on the areas that get the most sun exposure, such as our arms, legs, face, and chest. Skin cancer can develop on any areas where we have skin, even ones that aren’t usually exposed to sunlight. The scalp is one of the most neglected areas, but hair won’t provide much protection, especially if it’s thin or lighter colored, so it’s better to wear a hat and use spray sunscreen. The palms of the hands, soles of the feet, fingernails, toenails, between the toes, and the eyelids are some other common examples of areas that we forget about. Always check these areas of skin for any new or unusual changes.
For more information about diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, contact the Dallas-based Dermatology Office of Dr. Ellen Turner to get started. Call (214) 373-7546 or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation if you would like to get to know more about reducing the risk of skin cancer.