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Skin cancer is a disease that seems to be more common with each passing day. This may be because more research is done on the disease and people have become far more aware of skin cancer now. Or maybe people are getting skin cancer more than they used to because of environmental conditions like the increase in ultraviolet radiation from the sun due to holes in the ozone layer. So what is behind this increase ? This article will discuss what causes skin cancer.

The number one skin cancer cause, according to current thinking is being exposed to direct sunlight for a long period of time. Do you remember when people thought of a suntan as a sign of good health ?

Well this thinking has largely fallen away now (or at least it should be falling away). You will find in regions in the world where the sun is particularly strong the idea of sun baking yourself every day has been replaced with the need to wear a shirt, hat, eye protection and a 30+ sun protection factor sunscreen.

The point is that, although it is nice to sit in the sun from time to time, over exposure to the sun for a long time is a recipe for skin cancer. The extent of over exposure that a person must receive depends largely on their skin type.

People that find their skin burning quickly in the sun are at greater risk of skin cancer. Burning could be the skin turning red or even peeling but ultimately the person will feel pain on the burned portions of the skin. And pain is the body telling you that something is wrong. People often ignore the pain because they are having a good time or their work requires them to work in sunny conditions.

A person that burns quicker generally has less melanin in the body. Melanin is a substance that produces color or pigmentation in the skin, eyes and hair. So people with less melanin will be characterized by fair hair - blond or red, light colored eyes - blue or green and pale skin. People with no melanin at all have a condition knowns as Albinism. An Albino will have no color in the hair, eyes and skin.

The way that melanin protects the skin is by darkening it whenever it comes in contact with sunlight. this is commonly known as a suntan and is the body's way of preventing sunburn and thus skin cancer. However, it is an extremely fine line between getting a suntan and going to far and getting sun damaged skin.

The use of equipment that increases the exposure to ultra violet radiation will also put a person at risk to getting skin cancers. This is the case with the sunbed. The sun bed has long been used to top up a tan during the colder months or just before going on vacation. It is thought that over use of sunbeds can lead to skin cancer.

To finish, exposure to UV radiation will cause skin cancer. You should take action to avoid being exposed to UV radiation, most commonly by being exposed to the sun. At all times, when in the sun you should wear a hat, clothing to protect your body, sunglasses and sunscreen on areas of the body that are nor concealed like the face.