Many of our patients here at our Miami dermatology practice assume that their personal risk of getting skin cancer borders between low to average when we asked them during consultations because they think they’re dark-skinned or are too young to have the condition.  Yet, are you aware that it only takes one or two severe sunburns during childhood to significantly increase your risk of skin cancer later in life? 

Melanoma, one of the two main skin cancer categories, has been increasing in number for the past 3 decades. In fact, the American Cancer Society recently estimated that there will be 76,100 new cases of melanoma that will be diagnosed this year. As the most common type of cancer among women between 25-29 years old today, taking measures to avoiding melanoma should be a priority.

The following factors can increase your risk for skin cancer:

• family history of skin cancer and similar conditions
• sunburns early in life
• consistent prolonged exposure while at work or play
• you have bright-colored (blue or green) eyes
• you have blond or red hair
• you are fair-skinned, turns red easily or exhibits skin sensitivity after minimal sun exposure

If the ones listed above describe you perfectly, you don’t have to panic! You can still take steps to reduce your skin cancer risk through the following:

• Avoid tanning beds.
• Stay in the shade if you’re spending time outdoors.
• Use sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection and choose brands with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.
• Your sunglasses should also have UVA or UVB protection.
• Avoid the outdoors during midday (10 AM to 4PM) when ultraviolet (UV) radiation is strongest.

Preventing and treating skin cancer is something that should be taken seriously. A regular full-body skin check by Dr. Crowell is one sure way to prevent the condition from happening. Early detection is one of the positive things about skin cancer so you might as well get in touch with us today!

To schedule an appointment, please call (305) 274-0221 ext. 100 or 125.