If you’re dealing with a bad sunburn, you may be wondering what you can do to prevent skin cancer. While any sunburn can increase your risk of getting skin cancer, it’s never too late to take some precautions. By making a few lifestyle changes, you can protect your skin and your future health and minimize your chances of developing skin cancer. Here we will guide you on how to manage and prevent sunburns to reduce your risk of skin cancer.
Does a Bad Sunburn Mean I Will Get Skin Cancer?
Getting sunburned does increase your risk of skin cancer, but no single factor can give you skin cancer. It is the combination of many things that work together to create the perfect storm for skin cancer cells to develop. Along with other risk factors, a bigger predictor than one bad sunburn is having multiple sunburns over time. This means that the more important concern should be reducing your likelihood of getting sunburned again in the future.
Understanding Your Risk of Skin Cancer
Your individual risk of skin cancer depends on many factors. Each of the following increases your risk:
- Blistering sunburn in childhood