While many misconceptions circulate on the issue, Why Doctor explains to you, with the National Syndicate of Dermatologists-Venereologists, how to avoid developing skin cancer.
- Cutaneous melanomas, which are the most serious skin cancers, have been increasing steadily for 50 years, with an average of 14,325 new cases and 1,773 deaths each year.
- There is a direct link between exposure to UV rays and skin cancer.
1/I am not afraid of sun exposure because I regularly apply high protection creams every two hours
FALSE – Each person has their “solar capital”. The best protection is clothing protection with dark clothing. You also need:avoid exhibitions from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; mwear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses; aUse a sunscreen with an index of 20 to 50+ adapted to your skin type on the uncovered parts.
Beware of taking certain medications that can promote sunburn (photosensitization).
2/The UV sessions in the tanning booth prepare skin in the sun
FALSE – Artificial tanning does not have a protective effect and does not prepare the skin for tanning. On the contrary, the artificial UV rays received in the tanning booth only add to those received from the sun and increase the risk of cancer. Cabin attendance tanning is strongly discouraged.
3/ The risk is not related to the sensation of heat but to the intensity of UV rays
TRUE – Beware of false impressions of security when it is cooler, under cloudy skies or with wind, as in Brittany for example, because UV rays pass through and burn the skin.
4/You must consult a dermatologist every year
FALSE – But if we are a subject “at risk”, that is to say people who are regularly exposed to the sun or cold, who have many moles or a clear phototype, it is the dermatologist who will determine the frequency of consultations.
On the other hand, if a lesion appears on your skin or your mucous membranes, a dermatological expertise may be carried out after possibly consulting your doctor.
5/ Dark skin types are less at risk of cancer
FALSE – Many people think that dark or black skin is immune to the ravages of the sun. However, if the prevalence of melanoma is lower on dark skin, its prognosis is less favorable.
6/ Just have all my moles operated on and I won’t risk anything anymore
FALSE – Moles have a risk of cancerous transformation between 20 and 30%; the vast majority of melanomas appear on healthy skin.
7/I need to consult a dermatologist urgently because I injured a mole
FALSE – Traumatizing a mole does not cause it to degenerate into melanoma. It is easy to injure a raised nevus on friction or shaving areas, it is a boho like another.
On the other hand, the appearance of a mole different from its usual moles, a fortiori if it bleeds spontaneously, imposes to consult a dermatologist quickly.
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