10 Skin Cancer Myths Debunked

(Dreamstime)

By Lynn Allison    |   Tuesday, 02 May 2023 02:46 PM EDT

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and a good time to set up a visit with your dermatologist for a skin cancer screening. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, over 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually, making it America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, it is also one of the most preventable cancers.

Most skin cancers, like basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are highly curable, but malignant melanoma is much more serious. An estimated 7,990 people will die from melanoma in 2023. Of those, 5,420 will be men and 2,570 will be women. Most melanomas are caused by the sun. One study from the U.K. found that about 86% of melanomas can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

To reduce your risk of skin cancer, learn how to protect yourself by knowing fact from fiction about this potentially deadly disease. Here are 10 common myths, and the truth, about skin cancer:

1. Dark-skinned people don’t get skin cancer. No one is immune to skin cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. While skin cancer is more common in lighter-skinned people, the death rates are higher in darker-skinned individuals.
2. Only sun exposure causes skin cancer. While exposure to the sun is the primary cause of skin cancer, UV exposure from tanning beds and other occupational equipment, family history, increasing age and a weakened immune system are also risk factors.
3. Only older people get skin cancer. Prevention counts at any age. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in young adults aged 25 to 29 and the second most common form of cancer in people ages 15 to 29. The younger you are when exposed to the sun, the higher your risk for getting skin cancer later in life.
4. A base tan prevent sunburn. There’s no such thing as a safe tan or a tan that prevents sunburns, say the experts at MD Anderson. When UV rays hit your skin, they damage the DNA of your skin cells. To protect your cells, your body sends melanin, or pigment, to the surface of your skin. So, your skin gets color at the expense of your health. Sunburn happens when the UV rays are more than your skin can handle and repair.
5. You don’t need to wear sunscreen in the winter or on a cloudy day. Harmful UV rays are present all year round and can reach and damage your skin even through clouds.
6. You need sun exposure to boost vitamin D levels. “UV radiation is a known carcinogen that is responsible for DNA damage that results in skin cancer,” Dr. Julie Karen, a board-certified dermatologist, tells Forbes. Photodamage also contributes to wrinkles, dark spots, and redness. The safest way to prevent vitamin D deficiency is to eat a balanced diet that includes fatty fish like salmon, egg yolks, mushrooms, and spinach. You can also take a daily supplement, says Karen.
7. Makeup with sunscreen provides suitable protection against skin cancer. Not so, says Karen. To fully protect yourself from the damaging rays of the sun you need to apply a dedicated sunscreen before putting on makeup, even if there is SPF within a makeup product.
8. If you have a suspicious mole, your doctor can always cut it off before it turns cancerous. This is false, according to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. The ASDS says that only a physician can determine if that annoying mole is possibly an early form of skin cancer. An annual skin cancer screening is necessary to identify cancer in its earliest stages. The five-year survival rate when melanoma is detected and treated early before it spreads is almost 100%.
9. Appling sunscreen daily offers enough protection against damaging rays of the sun. For sunscreen to be effective, you need to use a full ounce over the body and a tablespoon on the face. Sunscreen must be reapplied every two hours when participating in outdoor activities.
10. Only UVB radiation can cause skin damage. Both UVA and UVB cause sunburns and damage skin, possibly leading to skin cancer, says the ASDS. Look for a sunscreen that offers protection against both, called “broad spectrum.”