More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the United States than all other cancers combined. The most common form, called melanoma, is the leading cause of death among women 25 to 30.
And the biggest culprit is the sun.
Ultra Violet exposure is linked to about 90 percent of skin cancer cases and nearly all forms of skin aging.
Philip Bailin M.D., Director of Pigmented Lesion Clinic at Cleveland Clinic, told Ivanhoe, “It’s going up dramatically and particularly with melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer.”
Doctors say to wear broad spectrum sunscreen every day and reapply every two hours when outdoors. But what else?
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found taking a 500-milligram supplement of vitamin B3, called niacinamide, twice a day reduced the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer by 23 percent.
Clothing with built-in SPF can also shield you from harmful rays.
“Increased sun exposure is the number one factor. More people have more leisure time, they wear less amount of clothing, they tend to get sunburned,” Bailin said.
New devices known as UV trackers can help you measure how much time you spend in the sun. You’ll receive an alert when you’ve reached unsafe levels so you can find shade and save your skin.
Oh, you missed a spot! Patchy sunscreen application leaves skin vulnerable to cancer.
5 to 10 percent of skin cancers occur on the eyelids.
Also, at risk are tips of ears, back of necks and around the hairline.
