Prevention And Detection Tips About Skin Cancer

Summer is fast approaching and it is more vital than ever to be one step ahead in the skin protection game. There are many things you can do on your end to minimise the chances of contracting skin cancer in the future. Making positive lifestyle choices today can take you a long way in getting beautiful healthy skin, regardless of the past decisions.

Protecting oneself from sun exposure is very important mainly because, in humans, skin cancer is the most commonly found type of cancer. It marks itself as a major threat to all the folks who spend numerous hours out in the sun. The silver lining here is that skin cancer can be preventable and even curable if detected at earlier stages.

Enlisted below are some tips and tricks that will aid you in preventing and detecting different types of skin cancer including melanoma, because prevention is obviously better than cure.

1. Never leave the house without Sunscreen.

Sunscreens have been hailed as the holy grail of skincare. Be it the sun, rain, sleet or hail, it is advised to never step outside of the house without sunscreen. Emission of UVA and UVB rays from the sun are potential reasons for skin cancer. You must make sure that your sunscreen offers good protection from these and offers lasting coverage.

Read the ingredients, expiry date and usage instructions wisely. Choose the kind that suits your particular skin type (dry, oily or combination). Another noteworthy point is that the sunscreen must be applied at least 30 minutes before you step out and reapplied every couple of hours, for maximum efficacy.

1. Get yourself a Balanced Meal

According to multiple studies from credible sources, it has been shown that phytochemicals, which are biologically active compounds often found in vegetables and fruits, effectively help in decreasing chances of skin cancer in humans. Safe sun exposure and sunscreen are not enough in combatting skin cancer.

Your body needs to be healthy from within. Eating a healthy diet helps fighting other potential diseases apart from skin cancer too. Talk about killing multiple birds with one stone. Apart from phytochemicals, many other plant-based substances are also beneficial in maintaining healthy skin such as Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (found in green tea), Resveratrol (found in tomatoes), Curcumin (found in turmeric) among others.

1. Check your Skin yourself

           You can check your skin regularly to identify any change in the appearance of your skin. Melanoma can occur on any part of the body and it is very vital to check thoroughly. Look out for skin abnormalities which can take the form of spots, lumps, bumps, sores, blisters etc. If you find anything suspicious, see a qualified dermatologist immediately. Click here to know more about it.

1. Quit Smoking

            Smoking kills. Apart from potentially causing throat, lung and mouth cancer, it also increases the risk of Squamous Cell Carcinomas (SCC) significantly. SCC is the second most commonly found type of skin cancer.

1. Say No to Tanning Beds and Salons

           This one is a bit obvious. Tanning beds should be a strict no-no if you want healthy cancer-free skin. Many studies have connected indoor tanning with skin cancer mainly because of the exposure one gets to UV rays there. These rays are highly carcinogenic in nature.

1. Reduce your exposure to UV rays

Some of the most common ways to reduce your exposure to the harmful UV rays are:

1. Avoiding walking in the sun by limiting the time spent outdoors.
2. Wearing protective clothing such as tightly woven fabrics, dark clothing etc. These days clothing with UV protection is available too.
3. Hats and sunglasses are effective and fashionable ways to protect the face, the scalp, the eyes and the eyelids.
4. Make use of umbrellas or sit in the shade.

Abide by these tips and chances are, that you won’t be stricken by skin cancer. If you feel that your skin is having problems, check with your dermatologist today.