Skin Cancer Warning Signs

Recent skin cancer statistics issued from the Skin Cancer Foundation stated that in 2005 over 50,000 people in the US had skin cancer melanoma and about 1,000,000 people world-wide will develop some type of skin cancer in 2009 alone.

So what are skin cancer warning signs? That depends. There are different Types of Skin Cancer and different Symptoms of Skin Cancer.

Some skin cancer begins in pigment cells. Other skin cancers start in round cells in the outer layer of skin. A third type is

What causes skin cancer? Skin cancer is directly tied to sun exposure and/or a weak immune system. Most of the time when caught early skin cancer is very curable, which means recognizing skin cancer warning signs is very important.

Of the types, skin cancer melanoma is the most dangerous and nearly universally caused by over-exposure to UV light. That means that the earlier in life people begin skin cancer prevention techniques, the better.

Skin Cancer Warning Signs - Are you at Risk?

Signs of Skin Cancer:

There are a variety of Signs of Skin Cancer that people want to know about, especially cancerous moles and what causes skin tags and are they cancerous.

Basically, there are about five signs of skin cancer that are very common, they include:

• Freckle that alters in color, size or shape
• Mole that alters in color, size or shape
• New skin spots that seem different than anything else in that area of the body
• Red scaling skin that stings when scratched
• A small dome-like bump that appears pearly (this may be a plain mole but that cannot be determined without tests)
• Sore red bumps on the face, ears, scalp or back of the hand (this may be the beginnings of squamous skin cancer)

Skin Cancer and The Sun - Protecting Yourself:

Sunscreen is one of the best prevention against skin cancer. However, make sure you use a chemical free one. Studies show that there are 5 common chemicals that can cause cell damage, DNA damage, and even skin cancer by not protecting against basal cell carcinoma or melanoma......Click here Sun Safety to read about the 5 dangerous chemicals found in most common sunscreens.

My favorite sun screen is super strenght UVB/UVA zinc oxide based sunscreen. It's chemical free, not greasy, shiny, or sticky and contains caffeine which acts as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant.....Perfect for a sensitive complexion that inflames easily. It's also great for all types - especially mature or oily skin. It's so light you barely know you have it on! Click on the link above to read more.

Additional Reading