The start of summer and the prospect of longer and warmer days are welcome for many. But with the warmer days comes more time in the sun and with it an increased risk of skin cancer. One in five Americans will experience skin cancer in their lifetime (1). With this high statistic, learning how to prevent skin cancer is important. This article will look at how to prevent skin cancer through lifestyle and nutritional changes.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, consisting of three layers. One of these layers is the epidermis, also known as the outer/or upper layer. Within this layer, there are three different types of cells that can develop cancer. These cells are:
The most common types of skin cancers are within the squamous and basal cells followed by melanoma, cancer within the melanocytes. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer as it can spread to other parts of the body (2).
Whilst anyone can experience skin cancer, individuals who are at a higher risk include those with:
The main cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays cause damage to your skin and damage the DNA within your skin cells, which can result in skin cancer. Sources of UV rays include:
Limiting your sun exposure can help to prevent skin cancer. To do this, you can:
Although a tan might be fashionable, sun lamps and tanning beds can also cause skin cancer. These tanning tools use high-level UV rays to make your skin react, increasing your risk of skin cancer. Skin darkens when the rays reach the inner layer of the epidermis, creating more melanin. This melanin, a darker pigment, then rises to the outer layer of the epidermis, creating a tanned look. This tan is a sign of damage to your epidermis.
Instead, tanning lotions or sprays can help. In these products, rather than damaging your skin with UV rays, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is used as a color additive that reacts with your skin, making it appear darker. Another benefit of using these products is that you can control how dark you would like your skin to be without increasing your risk of skin cancer.
Whilst nutrition and lifestyle strategies can help to boost your skin health, stress can also affect your skin health. Your body copes with stress through your adrenal glands and the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System. Your adrenal glands are responsible for producing stress hormones such as cortisol, helping your body to cope with stress. When the stressor disappears, your adrenal glands should stop producing cortisol.
When stress becomes long-term, your adrenal glands continue to produce cortisol. This can cause your adrenals to become depleted, leading to low levels of cortisol, and adversely affecting the organs of the six circuits of the NEM system. The result is often Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS), the non-Addison's form of adrenal dysfunction, where the body's stress response cannot keep up with life's chronic stressors.
The inflammation circuit, one of the six circuits of the NEM system, can become imbalanced in AFS. As its name suggests, this circuit helps to regulate inflammation in the body through the immune system, gastrointestinal tract, and gut microbiome. An imbalance here can cause inflammation in the skin. Chronic inflammation within your skin can potentially increase your risk of skin cancer and may sustain the growth and survival of malignant cells (7).
Additionally, if you are experiencing AFS and have an imbalance in the inflammation circuit, you may find your skin to be more sensitive to the sun. Here it is especially important to protect your skin from the sun. But whether you are looking at taking supplements to support your skin or are considering tanning lotions to get the glow without the sun, if you have health conditions or AFS, always chat with your healthcare professional first. Your body can become extra sensitive during AFS, and it may react negatively to these products, setting you back in your healing journey.
Learning how to prevent skin cancer through your lifestyle and nutrition is important, but it is also important to get regular skin checks. This includes monthly checks by yourself and a check with a skin specialist yearly, or more often if you are at risk for developing skin cancer.
If you do check your skin once a month, go see a doctor if you notice any of these warning signs (8):
Skin cancer unfortunately affects many individuals. However, you may be able to reduce your risk of skin cancer through:
Also, remember to check your body monthly for suspicious spots, lumps, or discoloration, and see a doctor to check for skin cancer signs once a year.
If you are looking to improve your nutrition to boost your skin or would like more guidance on how to prevent skin cancer through supplements, you can contact the Dr. Lam team for assistance. Give us a call at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation.
Boost Your Skin Health
American Academy of Dermatology. "Skin Cancer." 22 Apr. 2022, www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer.
CDC. "What Is Skin Cancer?." 18 Apr. 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/skin-cancer/index.html.
Butawan, Matthew, et al. “Methylsulfonylmethane: Applications and Safety of a Novel Dietary Supplement.” Nutrients, vol. 9, no. 3, Mar. 2017, p. 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030290.
Martín-Gorgojo, Alejandro, et al. “Vitamin D and Skin Cancer: An Epidemiological, Patient-Centered Update and Review.” Nutrients, vol. 13, no. 12, Nov. 2021, p. 4292. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124292.
Russo, Irene, et al. “Vitamins and Melanoma.” Cancers, vol. 7, no. 3, July 2015, pp. 1371–87. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers7030841.
Rather, Rafiq A., and Madhulika Bhagat. “Cancer Chemoprevention and Piperine: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities.” Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, vol. 6, Feb. 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2018.00010.
Neagu, Monica, et al. “Inflammation: A Key Process in Skin Tumorigenesis (Review).” Oncology Letters, Nov. 2018, https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2018.9735.
MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Skin Cancer Symptoms.” www.mdanderson.org/cancer-types/skin-cancer/skin-cancer-symptoms.html.
Some steps on how to prevent skin cancer after a sunburn include staying out of the sun if possible, do not pop any blisters or peel your skin, and allow your skin to heal. If you can, wear a sunscreen of SPF 30 and reapply every two hours.
