skin+cancer+cause-+simone

= = If you think spending time in the sun without protection or having an occasional sunbed session is no big deal, you're wrong. In fact, in most cases, you don't even see the damage that is caused to your skin, but it builds up over time and increases your risk of getting skin cancer. Keep on reading to learn how skin cancer is caused.
 * __ Causes of Skin Cancer __**

There are three types of ultraviolet light, or UV rays. Most of our natural sunlight is made up of UVA, a light that causes skin to age. UVB is what causes sunburned skin. It is also the main cause for non melanoma skin cancer. UVC is light that cannot reach us, because the earth's ozone layer filters it out. UVC does not affect us, but both UVA and UVB can increase the risk of getting skin cancer. Although ultraviolet light isn't visible, it is the most common cause for skin cancer. Our skin cell's DNA gets damaged from the ultraviolet light in sunlight. However, we usually don't realize the damage that the sun is doing to our skin because in most cases the damage doesn't show up until later in life at around age 40, or sometimes not even until the late 60's or 60's.  Below is an image that further explains the different types of ultraviolet rays.



Your natural skin color can also affect the protection you have against skin cancer. For example, people with fair skin, light colored hair and eyes, or people who burn easily, have a higher risk of getting skin cancer. This is because fair colored skin has less melanin, a protective pigment that is more common in darker skin. Darker skinned people have a lower risk of getting skin cancer, but are still at risk. Albinism, an inherited genetic trait, is when skin doesn't make any melanin. Albino people have very light colored skin and hair and are at a higher risk of getting skin cancer, because their skin doesn't have any natural protection against the sun.

One huge cause of skin cancer are tanning beds. These machines that instantly make you appear tanner are often used by teenagers and young adults to look healthier, but they are not a safe alternative to tanning in the sun. Tanning beds also give out dangerous UV rays that can lead to skin cancer. It is estimated that tanning beds cause 100 deaths from melanoma every year in the UK. Below is an image of a teenager in a tanning bed.

After reading this page, here is a small quiz to review on what you read.

1) Tanning beds usually use... a. UVA rays b. UVB rays c. UVC rays

2) Darker skinned people... a. will never get skin cancer b. have the highest risk of getting skin cancer c. have a lower risk of getting skin cancer

Check your answers: 1) a 2) c


 * CAUSE || SYMPTOMS || TREATMENT || PREVENTION || SELF-EXAMINATION || NOTES || SOURCES ||