How to Avoid Skin Cancer

with three basic steps. Do you know what they are? Dermatologist Joyce N. Fox, M.D., explains in Ask the Doctor, a women's health video series produced in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center…

Sun-tanned skin is sun-damaged skin. No exceptions.

Every time you use a tanning bed or stay out in the sun too long, you increase your risk of skin cancer, says Joyce N. Fox, M.D., a dermatologist with Cedars-Sinai Medical Group in Los Angeles.

“Tanning beds are a disaster – they’re concentrated ultraviolet light,” Dr. Fox says. “There are no safe ultraviolet rays.”

Because of tanning-bed use, “women are developing skin cancers in their early 20s,” she adds.

If you stop tanning now, it won’t reverse already present skin damage, because it's cumulative, Dr. Fox explains.

But a tan ban will keep problems – premature wrinkles, for example – from getting worse, she says.

Dr. Fox has three essential rules to reduce risk factors for melanoma (the deadliest) and other forms of skin cancer.
1. Protect yourself from the sun.
Avoid sunlight, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when it’s usually strongest. Wear large-brimmed hats and tightly woven clothing with long sleeves and pant legs.

Also, apply sunscreen on all exposed areas.

“SPF 30 or higher is fine, [but you need to] reapply it every two hours,” Dr. Fox says.

If you’re swimming, get out of the water and reapply at least every 90 minutes, she advises.

Also, follow directions on the bottle closely, because sunscreens vary in strengths and degrees of water resistance.

2. Examine yourself regularly.
Check every inch of your skin, using the American Academy of Dermatology’s self-examination tips or information from your doctor.

To perform a self-exam, look closely at your body, front and back, in a mirror. Search for any moles or areas of discoloration that are new or changing. Don’t forget to examine your sides, with your arms raised, and then check your elbows, hands and arms using a hand mirror.

Then look closely at the front and back of each leg, and check your feet, including the soles.

Finally, ask someone to examine the back of your neck and scalp.
3. See your dermatologist.
Schedule a full-body skin exam at least once a year, especially if you tanned or burned a lot as a child.

Your dermatologist should also chart the locations and appearance of any moles, and note whether you were born with them or developed them as you got older, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

If you have risk factors for skin cancer, visit your dermatologist every six months, Dr. Fox advises.

According to the National Cancer Institute and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, risk factors include:

A previous skin cancer diagnosis


A family history of skin cancer


A history of indoor tanning (especially before age 30)


A history of sunburns, especially early in life


At least one incident of a severe sunburn that blistered


Lighter natural skin color


Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun


Blue, gray or green eyes


Blond or red hair


A large number of moles or certain types of moles (ask your doctor for details).