The best way to avoid skin cancer is prevention, and sun protection is a cornerstone of skin cancer prevention.
When the immune system in your skin is working at 100 percent efficiency, it clears away borderline precancerous areas and prevents them from turning into growths you can feel or see. But ultraviolet light from the sun temporarily suppresses the immune system in your skin. When you expose your skin to the sun without protection, you hinder your immune system’s natural ability to clear away small clusters of precancerous cells. Whether you’re burning or just tanning, you are increasing your risk of precancerous growths turning into skin cancer.
Sun protection during every season is paramount. Some people have the misconception that because they tan easily and don’t burn, they don’t have to worry about skin cancer. It’s true they may not be at high risk, but they are at risk nonetheless.
Remember, there is no safe tan. Tanning prior to vacations does not protect your skin.
It’s never too late to start protecting your skin. Just because you haven’t in the past, doesn’t mean your skin won’t benefit from protection now. Trillium Creek Dermatology offers sun protection products to safeguard your skin from the sun, and sunless tanning products for a safe, natural-looking alternative to sun exposure. Applying an SPF of greater than 35 with antioxidants and nutrients should be a daily ritual.
