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I’ve had skin cancer, now what?  

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Tips for Skin Cancer Prevention 

Unfortunately, this question is quite common.  1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.  Fortunately, most skin cancers occur locally and do not spread to other parts of the body.  But still, most of us would prefer never to have another one.  Here are a few options that have been SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to reduce the risk of future skin cancers or precancer spots.  

  1. Wear sunscreen daily.  Every day all year long, especially on exposed areas of the face, neck, and back of the hands.  Picking a sunscreen can be hard, but it is always best to choose one that has zinc oxide as an active ingredient.  We update our list of recommended sunscreens yearly on our website. One recent study showed that a new sunscreen (ISDIN Eryfrotona Actinica and Eryfotona Ageless)  that also contains DNA repair enzymes decreases the occurrence of precancerous actinic keratoses by 50%.  It is available in the Spring Boutique.  
  1. Avoid Tanning Beds and any Unnecessary Sun Exposure.  Tannning beds are never a good or safe choice.   Just one tanning session prior to age 35 increases risk of Melanoma by 75%.  https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/ 
  1. Take Vitamin B3 Niacinamide. One study showed that Niacinamide 500mg twice a day can decrease the incidence of skin cancer development by 25% per year.  This is a simple and inexpensive vitamin available on Amazon for about $5 per month. 
  1. Photodynamic Therapy.      Photodynamic  therapy is a procedure done in the office.  In this procedure, a solution is applied to the face.  The solution is allowed to incubate for about 60 minutes and is absorbed by the abnormal cells.  Then patients sit in front of a panel of lights.  There is an interaction then between the light and the solution that is in the abnormal cells that cause death to the abnormal cells.   This is widely done in Europe as a preventative measure.  In the US, it is usually only covered by insurance if there are active precancerous lesions present.   
  1. Yearly Skin Examinations by a Dermatologist and Self Examination Monthly.   

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