Your Skin Is Not Immortal: The Truth About Sunburns and Skin Cancers

Summer is here, which means beach trips, days out by the pool and days spent outdoors soaking up the sun's rays. Unfortunately, along with the summer fun comes a risk of skin cancer and sunburns if you don't take proper precautions. To ensure that your summertime activities remain enjoyable instead of painful, it's essential to learn some tips for avoiding sunburns and protecting yourself from skin cancer.

What is Skin Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancers account for more than half of all cancers in the United States. In fact, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Skin cancer is a type of cancer caused by damage to the cells in your skin due to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds. The most common forms of skin cancer are Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma and Melanoma. Each type comes with its own symptoms and treatments. Although you may not grow a skin cancer tomorrow especially if you are someone in their 20s, sun exposure is accumulative what does this mean all the time you spend outdoors when you were younger without some type of protection has caught up, and the skin cells have sub stained enough damage that they can no longer repair themselves and have mutated into a cancerous cell. Usually, skin cancer first appears around the age of 50. In all my years that I have spent in the dermatology field I can tell you that we have seen 20-year-olds with basal cell carcinoma, have also seen 30- and 40-year-olds with skin cancers, so it does not mean you will be skin cancer free until the age of 50. Unfortunately, after your first skin cancer the risk of developing another becomes higher. I have come across many patients who have become frequent flyers at the dermatologist office due to their extensive sun damage since sunscreen was not important or available when they were growing up and now, they wish they had taken better care of their skin to avoid the constant trips and surgeries.

Why sunburns put you at a higher risk of skin cancer.

Sunburns are a form of skin damage caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. When your skin is exposed to UV rays, it triggers a rapid production of an enzyme called "tyrosinase" which converts the amino acid tyrosine into melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives your skin its color. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin is. Example people with colored eyes, blonde or red hair and are fair in complexion are more predisposed to sunburns vs someone who tans someone who tans usually produces more melanin reason why they may be darker when being outdoors. If you are someone that burns vs tans when being outdoors just know the outcome will always be the same so instead of continuing to see if you tan vs burn juts apply sunscreen find areas with shade when being outdoors. The more sunburns you acquire during your childhood, teenage years and even adulthood just know it will make you more predisposed to making visits to the dermatologist and having to have spots biopsied, burned off with liquid nitrogen, excised or Mohs Surgery which is every dermatologist favorite kidding but not really.

How to spot potential skin cancers

Skin cancer can often be detected early on if you know what to look for. The most common signs are spots or moles that:

• Are asymmetrical in shape

• Have an irregular border

• Have variations in color, such as shades of tan, black or brown

• Are larger than a pencil eraser (6mm) or have grown bigger over time

In addition to these signs, you should also look for any new or suspicious spots, such as those that are itchy, bleed easily, are dry and scaly or have a different texture than the surrounding skin. Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma are the most common kinds of skin cancer, and they are easily treatable and rarely metastasize, however they do eat away healthy skin tissue they usually spread only to the surrounding skin, but they also spread to the deeper layers of the skin like the fat, cartilage, periosteum, muscle. Melanoma skin cancer in the other hand is a more serious skin cancer that can metastasize to the lymph nodes and organs if not caught early. While Basal cells and Squamous cell carcinomas will often appear dry, scaly, spots that do not heal and bleed easily. Melanomas can often appear as a new mole often times it's the same moles we have had our whole life that can turn into melanomas therefore you want to keep an eye out for moles that are changing in size or color and do not look how they once used to. Unlike Basal cell and Squamous cell carcinoma, Melanomas can occur at any age more common in 20-year-olds and up or if mom, dad or siblings have had melanoma it does increase the chances of developing one at some point in your life therefore make sure you are always getting a skin check. One thing to keep in mind is that the body does change with pregnancy and during that time your moles may change, if you are concerned it never hurts to see a dermatologist. As we get older you may start to notice something called seborrheic keratoses these growths are benign but not aesthetically pleasing sometimes people mistake them for melanomas since they are dry, crusty flaky and dark in color.

Protective Clothing

Protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays is essential for avoiding skin damage and reducing the risk of skin cancer. One way to do this is by covering up with clothing that provides ample coverage. Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts made from lightweight and breathable fabrics, along with pants or skirts that cover your legs. Don't forget to accessorize with a wide-brimmed hat to shield your face and neck from the sun don't forget the ears. Now a days there are more options when it comes to protective clothing it is more common to find brands that have UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) fabric technology like Coolibar. If you are someone who hates applying sunscreen and hates the consistency of SPF and you spend a lot of time outdoors it might be worth spending the extra money on UPF clothing. I have worked with various dermatologist some will recommend clothing with UPF, while others are fine with everyday clothing as long as you are covering the areas that are exposed to the sun.

Make sure to re-apply sunscreen every two hours, or after swimming or sweating!

Sunscreen is a vital tool in protecting our skin from the damaging effects of the sun. However, simply applying it once at the start of the day is not enough. To ensure maximum protection, it's important to reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or sweating. By doing so, we can make sure our skin is shielded from harmful UVA and UVB rays, which can cause premature aging, sunburn, skin cancers. So, next time you pack for a day out in the sun, make sure to also pack your sunscreen and set a timer for every two hours as a reminder to reapply. Your skin will thank you for it!