How to Prevent Skin Cancer

• Skin that is naturally light-colored
• Skin that freckles, turns red, or burns easily, or becomes painful after sun exposure
• Green or blue eyes
• Red or blond hair
• Certain types of moles or a large number of moles
• A family or personal history of skin cancer
• A history of sunburns or tanning
• Older age

You can try the following to reduce your risk of skin cancer.

Keep to the Shade and Stay Out of the Sun When Possible

Wear Sun-Protective Clothing

Wear Sunscreen Every Day When You’re Outdoors — Whatever Skin Tone You Have

Choosing a sunscreen can be challenging. In addition to seeking ingredients that support skin cancer prevention, it’s important that the act of wearing sunscreen isn’t a negative one. Otherwise, you may be less likely to use it.

Choosing Sunscreens for Darker Skin Tones

Many sunscreens have chalky textures or leave white residue, which can make wearing it unpleasant for those with darker skin tones. The experience of wearing sunscreen was top of mind for the entrepreneur Shontay Lundy when she founded her brand, Black Girl Sunscreen.

“It’s the No. 1 reason why women of color aren’t wearing sunscreen,” says Lundy. “Back in 2016 when we launched, most sunscreens didn’t address this issue.”

Black Girl Sunscreen is broad-spectrum, SPF 30, and dries completely clear, eliminating the chalky white sheen that other sunscreens can leave behind. Lundy and the Black Girl Sunscreen team have also partnered with melanoma organizations to help educate and advocate for skin cancer prevention.

There are just a few biologically active ingredients available to any sunscreen brand, so Lundy says it’s the inactive ingredient list where companies can differentiate and tell a story.

Lundy incorporates inactive ingredients into her formula, such as avocado, jojoba, carrot juice, and sunflower oil, to moisturize and protect the skin.

“We want to make it clear that our consumer was never an afterthought,” says Lundy. “They were always at the forefront.”

Avoid Tanning Beds and Sunlamps

Plus, women under 30 years of age who use indoor tanning are six times more likely than those who don’t to develop melanoma.

Try Dietary Preventive Methods

Skin cancer research and prevention organizations have worked hard for years to eliminate false and misinterpreted information about the sun, vitamin D, and sunscreen.

Myth: Sunscreen Prevents You From Getting Enough Vitamin D

Many people believe that sun protection puts them at risk of not getting enough vitamin D, and that the best way to get enough vitamin D is through unprotected exposure to UV rays.

Myth: People With Darker Skin Tones Don’t Have to Pay Attention to Sun Protection

One study found an average five-year melanoma survival rate of 70 percent in Black people versus 94 percent in white people. Another showed that late-stage melanoma diagnoses are more common in Hispanic and Black patients than in non-Hispanic white patients.

Myth: Sunscreen Contains Harmful Chemicals

Mark Lebwohl, MD, a professor of dermatology at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, has heard a fair amount of misinformation around sunscreen, including that some sunscreens (particularly chemical sunscreens) are unhealthy.

“There’s not one iota of evidence other than a rare allergy that a single person has ever been harmed by sunscreen,” says Dr. Lebwohl. “There is a ton of evidence that patients have been helped by sunscreen.”

Myth: Older Adults With Sun-Exposure-Related Skin Cancer No Longer Need Sun Protection

Lebwohl says another misconception is that older people with skin cancers related to sun exposure decades ago no longer have to worry about their skin in the sun, which is false. Later in life, your skin cells still fight the development and progression of skin cancers, but sunlight knocks them out.

Therefore, excessive exposure as you age can be a “double whammy,” Lebwohl says, as the sun can eliminate the cells protecting those with damage from decades earlier.

Most often, UV light is at the center of conversations around skin cancer, because it’s the No. 1 cause of skin cancer.

UVB Shortwave ultraviolet B (UVB) rays cause sunburns and damage the DNA in skin cells, which can ultimately lead to skin cancer. UVB rays are a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, but they are traditionally where most sunscreen companies focus their attention.

UVA Long-wave ultraviolet A (UVA) rays result in tanning and premature signs of aging. UVA rays are prevalent in all kinds of weather and can even penetrate glass. When researchers realized UVA rays also contribute to skin cancer, they developed broad-spectrum sunscreens to protect against it, too, with the added benefit of preventing wrinkles and dark spots.

• You can reduce your risk of skin cancer through proactive measures, including wearing broad-spectrum SPF and seeking shade during peak sun hours.
• Preventive measures, such as wearing protective clothing and applying sunscreen daily, regardless of your skin tone, significantly reduce your risk of skin cancer.
• Avoid using tanning beds and lamps, as they significantly increase the risk of skin cancer.
• For those who've had skin cancer, consider discussing with a healthcare provider the possibility of including the vitamin B3 supplement nicotinamide in your routine, as it may reduce the recurrence of common skin cancers.