Skin Care And Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is a common problem that afflicts people all over the world. Many a times, it also leads to death. Hence, proper skin care awareness is of paramount importance to avoid it and also to detect its early occurrence.

Skin cancer

Skin cancer is mostly manifested in the areas that are exposed to the sun like the hands, face etc and on such areas there is malignant growth of skin cells.

Causes of skin cancer

The single most cause of skin cancer is the over exposure to sun. The ultraviolet rays in the sun cause the skin cancer.

The fair skinned people are more susceptible to the skin cancer than the dark skinned people.

Apart from the exposure to the natural ultra-violet rays of the sun, the exposure to artificial ultra-violet radiation in the form of sunlamps for tanning can also lead to skin cancer.

Skin cancer can also be genetic in nature.

Types of skin cancer

Melanoma – This type of skin cancer is generally found among people in the middle age. The skin in the affected area becomes raises with shades of different colour. The size and shape of them are irregular.

Basal cell carcinoma – This is the most common type of skin cancer. In this type of skin cancer there are occurrences of small bumps on the head and the neck.

Squamous cell carcinoma – Developed at later age, this type skin cancer spreads from the tumours developed in the ears or lip.

Skin cancer and sun

Exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun is the main cause of the skin cancer. The ultraviolet rays, with their longer wavelength can even pass through glass.

To protect the skin against the sun rays, the immune system in the body produces more of the melanin in the skin. In case of dark skinned people such melanin are more.

Hence, the fair skinned people are at a greater risk of skin cancer that the darker skinned people. The intensity of the sun rays is increased during the noon time of the day and during the summer.

Skin care against the skin cancer

Since, most of the skin cancer is due to the sun exposure, avoidance of such exposure forms the main part of skin care against the skin cancer. This forms the main preventive measure against the skin care.

Children should be made aware of this and should be forbidden to have a prolonged exposure on the sun. That apart, they should be educated to use a sunscreen lotion before going out in the sun.

The medical treatment of skin canner involves surgery.

The type of treatment of skin cancer are determined by the type of skin cancer, its spread to other body parts and how deep is its spread into the skin along with the overall health of the person. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy are other modes of treatment of skin cancer other than the surgery.

These are some of the way by which skin cancer is treated. But remember, prevention is always better than cure.