Skin cancer is a type of cancer that develops on the outermost layer of your skin; with this form of cancer being one that manifests on the outside of your body, skin cancers can be visibly identified by a dermatologist. The ease of identification of the majority of skin cancers can help patients receive treatment even before skin cancer symptoms have started to manifest themselves. There are many contributing factors to a person’s developing skin cancer; by understanding the base causes of skin cancer, you can take the steps to change your lifestyle and prevent the development of skin cancer.

Potential Causes Of Skin Cancer

There are many potential causes of skin cancer; including the following:
- Overexposure to the sun’s harmful rays - the sun has been long known to be a major contributing culprit for several types of skin cancer. To help minimize the sun’s damage to your skin be sure that you limit the amount of time that you spend outdoors in the direct sunlight; you should also ensure that you apply a reliable sunscreen to your face, hands and arms on daily basis. Although touted as a much safer option for tanning outside in the direct sun, even exposure to artificial UV rays – like those found in tanning beds – has been proven to cause skin cancer.
- Smoking – smoking, and general tobacco use, has been proven to be the primary cause in the majority of lung cancer patients. Additionally, smoking may also double your risk of developing skin cancer; the best method of avoiding the types of skin cancer caused by smoking is to simply avoid the use of tobacco products.
- HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) – the HPV virus has been associated with the development of skin cancer in various areas on the body. HPV is a preventable virus that is known to be the primary cause behind the majority of cervical cancers. Talk to a medical professional about your risks of contracting the HPV virus, as well as methods of prevention.

Prevention Is Better Than A Cure

While there is currently no method of completely eliminating the chances of developing skin cancer, the risks can be dramatically reduced by taking the steps to avoid exposure to the things that are known to be contributing factors to the development of skin cancer. With the majority of skin cancers being caused by excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, it stands to reason that limiting your time outdoors in the direct sunlight can help you to significantly lower your risks. Protective clothing and a broad spectrum sun screen can help you to further reduce your exposure.

If you are concerned and are wondering what skin cancer looks like, be sure that you make an appointment with a dermatologist who will be able to compare area of concern on your body with pictures of skin cancer while also comparing the symptoms that you are displaying with a list of common skin cancer symptoms. It is better to be paranoid about a mole on your arm than to receive devastating news – too late.