One has to worry about having age spots if it degrades his or her self esteem. It is also supposed that age spots can cause cancer. But before jumping into conclusions, you have to know some basic things about age spots and skin cancer, and see how they are related to each other.
Age spots commonly occur on older people, since they have more sun damage to their skin. Those parts of the skin which takes in too much sunlight are more affected. Of course, it is not only old age that contributes to the occurrence of age spots, but the frequency of one’s sun exposure. dead melanocytes are what causes age spots.
Skin cancer however is not only caused by sunlight. There is smoking tobacco, exposure to caustic chemicals like arsenic. Heredity is another factor. The skin cells have different types so the type of skin cancer is determined by this. Since they involves the melanocytes, squamous cells and basal cells, these cancers are named after them. Other kinds of skin cancers are also present, but the most common of them are to be tackled here.
The question is, can age spots develop to cancer? The answer is still uncertain, but since both age spots and skin cancer have a common factor, which is excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, there could be a chance. It could happen if age spots are ignored.
The good news is, skin cancer is very easy to discover because it occurs on the skin surface. Skin cancer symptoms include non healing lesions and moles that grow, change in color or shape. You should watch out for those moles that have irregular borders and weird colors. Sometimes, age spots hinder the detection of melanoma, so it is sometimes linked to skin cancer.
Now, how can you prevent these age spots from turning into skin cancer, or prevent it from obstructing the detection of skin cancer? Limiting sun exposure is the first step. The heat of the sun is at its highest during noontime, so try not to go out during those times. If you have your age spots eliminated, your risks are lowered. Also wear sunscreens when you have to go out under the heat of the sun. Bringing an umbrella is a wise move. You can prevent skin cancer if you avoid it.
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