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The sunburns that can change your life: Experts say just 5 can double cancer risk
The Independent • • health
Key Points:
- Sunburns significantly increase the risk of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that kills over 9,000 Americans annually, with five or more sunburns doubling that risk due to UV-induced DNA damage.
- The severity and number of sunburns, along with the age at which they occur, influence cancer risk; blistering second-degree burns in childhood notably raise the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
- First- and second-degree sunburns cause peeling as the body sheds damaged skin cells, while rare third-degree burns damage all skin layers and require emergency care.
- Over 88 million U.S. adults get sunburned yearly, with nearly 19 million experiencing four or more sunburns, highlighting the widespread nature of the issue.
- Preventative measures such as wearing protective clothing, using broad-spectrum sunscreen applied 30 minutes before sun exposure, and reapplying every two hours are essential to reduce skin cancer risk.
