Risk Factors
- Fair skin: Having less pigment (melanin) in your skin provides less protection from damaging UV radiation.
- If you have blond or red hair, light-colored eyes, and you freckle or sunburn easily, you're much more likely to develop skin cancer than is a person with darker features.
- A history of sunburns: Every time you get sunburned, your skin cells are damaged and you increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
- After a sunburn, your body works to repair the damage. Having multiple blistering sunburns as a child or teenager increases your risk of developing skin cancer as an adult.
- No sunburns are safe!
- Excessive sun exposure: Anyone who spends considerable time in the sun may develop skin cancer, especially if your skin isn't protected by sunscreen or clothing.
- Tanning also puts you at risk. A tan is your skin's injury response to excessive UV radiation.
- Moles: People who have many moles or abnormal moles (called dysplastic nevi) are at increased risk of skin cancer.
- These abnormal moles — which are described in the ‘Detection’ section — are more likely than others to become cancerous.
- Precancerous skin lesions: Having skin lesions known as Actinic Keratoses can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
- These precancerous skin lesions are characterized by their rough, scaly patches that range in color from brown to dark pink
- A family or personal history of skin cancer: If one of your parents or a sibling has had skin cancer, or if you have developed skin cancer before, you are at an increased risk of the disease.
- Exposure to environmental hazards: Exposure to environmental chemicals, including some herbicides, increases your risk of skin cancer.
- This includes employees who work predominantly in an outdoor setting.
- Gender: Men are more likely to develop all types of skin cancers.
- Age: As you get older the risk of Melanoma’s increases.
This can be due to the fact that many types of skin cancer develops slowly over time.
What are your risk factors???