Types of Sun Related Cancers
Another piece worth to know if you know you’re vulnerable to get skin cancer, and it’s not just a simple melanoma (although it’s well-known that melanoma is one of the top diseases infecting Americans). With UV radiation is proven to be the true cause of skin cancer, have a look how the radiation affects your skin and develop distinct types of skin cancer.
Though you’d feel good after getting yourself a little bit of sun (as the process involves releasing the feel-good hormone of endorphins), the sun may be a neutral towards you – sun exposure (sans proper protection) will only age your skin, ‘donating’ you free radicals to go haywire within your skin, and it certainly weakens your skin’s structure.
Apart from aging signs that you’d hear a couple of times such as wrinkles, sun spots, sunburn, or even pigmentations, the after effects of exposing yourself to the sun can be devastating. Because you can get cancer from too much of sun exposure.
The first type of skin cancer is known as Basal Cell Cancer, and it’s common among people living in the Northern Hemisphere (especially Americans and Europeans). Usually they form in places where your skin gets exposed to sunlight (what’s more not applying sunscreen) and they look reddish, hard, and raised kind of wound.
The cancer is distinctly localized, and the odds are in your favor that it can be treated for good.
Squamous Cell Cancer, on the other hand, differs and certainly a higher level than Basal. This cancer happens when your skin that gets regularly exposed to the UV lights for long periods of time. Squamous tend to develop in skin areas where it’s spot on damaged from the sun, namely areas that are acne and freckles commonly develop such as your nose.
The imperfections will in turn change into flaky patches with a small opening that won’t heal, which in turn grow larger with time, complete with skin crusts (I know you start to cringe after reading that). Though the chance of you to recover from this type of skin cancer is still in your favor, keep in mind that early detection makes a difference.
Okay, this is where it gets dirty. Melanoma is malignant, and it’s devastating. It’s a serious form of skin cancer and it will come right at you when you least expect it – by appearing like a harmless little mole or tiny hyperpigmentation that will eventually grow, bleed, or changes its look, and certainly melanoma will spread if you don’t detect it at an earlier stage. If not, I’m terribly sorry.
