Worried about skin cancer...?

Im turning 18 next month and im worried about skin cancer. I have a fair complexion but im not ghostly white. If this is of any help im Canadian with a British/Scottish background and I have light brown hair. Everybody always says I have red skin.. my skin seems to have a reddish tint. Anyways, my mom is fair skinned and my dad is reddish tinted like me with freckles. I used to have freckles on my nose but not really anymore. I've done some stupid things in the past and have gone out in the sun without sunscreen and got burnt. Everytime I go to the carribean on vacation with my family I wear sunscreen but get horrible burns. I peel a lot and they hurt like hell. My burn lines are very obvious and such, but then once its all peeled im back to normal. I've never gone to professionally tan and I never really naturally tan, i always seem to burn. Im out in the sun alot considering im a soccer player. Im just worried about skin cancer. Nobody in my family has had it or any form of cancer.

Well, in watching this morning talk show the other morning, I learned something I didn't know before. I had always thought that the higher the number on the bottle of suntan lotion, the better protection...that is NOT the case. What I have learned is that the number 45 (example SPF 45) means that you can stay out in the sun for 45 minutes longer than it would take you to burn. This is a little confusing. Let's say, normally you are out in the sun for 30 minutes before you start to burn...well, with the SPF 45, you would be able to stay out in the sun for 75 minutes before you would need to re-apply. That is only one hour and 15 minutes in the sun before having to use the lotion again! Sorry, that just shocked me when I seen that on that show. As for the lotion that tested out to be the best, it was a brand called No Ad, which happens to be one of the only ones my little boy isn't allergic to, so that works out great for my family. As far as your fear of skin cancer, the only thing you can do is cover up what you can, apply lotion often, and see a dermatologist right away if anything unusual pops up, and once a year for a skin check. Don't forget to put the lotion on the back of your ears also if you wear a pony tail or a hat with your hair behind your ears. I have seen several older people with parts of their ears cut off because of skin cancers on the ears.
Enjoy the sun, but respect it. Don't forget to put a chapstick with sun protection in it also, because the sun can get at your lips too.

Just protect yourself from the sun. Don't tan, you should be fine if you take care.

stay in shade , wear sunscreen , and wear a hat

Dr. Mercola's Comment:


How many people know that not getting enough sun KILLS 50,000 people from cancer deaths every year in the US alone?

The myth that the sun is detrimental to your health, and that sunscreen is a necessity to guard against cancer is one of the most pervasive hoaxes in our society today.

This myth can be traced back to the two industries that benefit the most: the cancer industry and the sunscreen manufacturers. These two giant profit-makers tag-team efforts which keep the unsuspecting public in a trance.

Not only do sunscreens promote cancer by blocking your vitamin D production, they are also likely carcinogens all by themselves. A study in the April 2004 Journal of Chromatography found that there is significant penetration of all sunscreen agents they studied into the skin.
..Boosting your skin's "internal sunscreen" from within with effective antoxidants from whole fresh vegetables and fruits like goji berries (not the juice), raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, are far healthier options. Additionally, slathering on some aloe vera gel can also be helpful.

If you're still hooked on the idea of a cream, there are safer natural sunscreen products that contain no petrochemicals, such as Aubrey's Active and Green Tea sunblocks. Just remember, although these products are non-toxic, they still prevent you from metabolizing vitamin D, so use them with caution