Skin cancer rates are rising among middle-aged and older people due to too much exposure to the sun. These people often go to the beach thanks to plenty of package holidays being offered to them by businesses.
The "sun, sea and sangria" generation are currently facing the consequences of soaking their bodies to the sun to achieve deep tans, The Telegraph reported from the Cancer Research UK. Frequently these beach bums getting sunburns puts them at high risk of developing skin cancer or its most dangerous kind - melanoma.
Skin Cancer Could Lead To The More Dangerous Melanoma
Melanoma is the fifth most common type of cancer in the United Kingdom. Around 10,000 people with ages 55 and beyond are diagnosed with melanoma annually in Britain, a stark contrast to the 3,100 cases recorded in the mid-90s. In the United States, melanoma kills around 10,130 people every year.
Melanoma is not a common type of skin cancer, but it carries great consequences. Melanomas are usually black, brown, pink, red, tan, purple, blue or white, the Skin Cancer Foundation wrote.
Nick Ormiston-Smith, the head of statistics for Cancer Research UK, said sunburns don't equate to developing melanoma in the future. However, getting sunburned often aggravates a person's chances of having the disease later on.
To prevent sunburn and ultraviolet light exposure, the Mayo Clinic suggests using sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours or more often if you're swimming or sweating. People on a holiday in sunny countries are advised to avoid direct sunlight between 11AM and 3PM, the time when the sun's rays are most dangerous.
The uptick in skin cancer rates are the result of affordable foreign holidays, which first began in the 1960s, BBC wrote. Package holidays have become so cheap that people commonly go on overseas trips almost each year, The Telegraph added. The youth has even coined the term "vitamin sea" when they're out on the beach and soaking up the sun.
Foods To Lower Skin Cancer Risk
Some foods reportedly can help lower skin cancer risk. This includes red wine, turmeric, pistachios, peanuts, apples, soy and flaxseed. According to Elite Daily, these foods contain substances such as resveratrol, apigenin, curcumin and quercetin that can decrease sun-related skin damage.
Anyone can develop skin cancer, but some people have higher risks. Aside from the frequent exposure to the sun, skin cancer risk gets spiked if a person has inherited gene factors associated with the disease, use tanning beds often and if they have numerous odd moles on their body, the NY Daily News noted. Fair-skinned individuals are more likely to develop skin cancer than people with dark complexions.
