Skin problems health centre

Understanding skin cancer - prevention

How can I prevent it?

If you are at risk of skin cancer, take the following precautions whenever possible:

• Avoid intense sun exposure by staying out of it between late morning and early afternoon.
• Outside, wear a hat with a brim, long sleeves, trousers and sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
• Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 (50 for children or adults with pale skin) or higher whenever you are outside.
• Report suspicious skin lesions to your doctor at once, especially if you have abnormal-looking moles or a family history of melanoma.
• The British Association of Dermatologists recommends that people should not use sunbeds or sunlamps.