After reading our last post about checking your skin for signs of skin cancer, you may be wondering if you are at risk.
Well, you are at risk. Anyone, dark or light, male or female, can develop skin cancer, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors. However, there are a few factors that enhance your risk even further. Those include:
-people with freckles
-people with fair skin
-people who burn easily
-people with light colored eyes
-people with naturally blonde or red hair
It may also be worth researching into your family history as some studies have also shown that if one or more family members have developed skin cancer of any form, that will put you at a higher risk of also developing it.
Don’t think that just because it’s cloudy outside that you are safe, UV rays are there year round and they are the ones that damage your skin! Getting a base tan does not help much either – dermatologists say that a base tan provides the equivalent of an SPF 5 – not very much at all!
So cover up, use sunscreen and reapply frequently, and check your body often to keep on top of any changes.
