Diary

Each year in France almost 60 000 new cases of skin cancers are diagnosed, including 6500 melanomas. Figures that keep increasing despite many information campaigns made by health authorities. What are the different type of skin cancers, the risk factors and how to protect yourself against them. Follow the guide...

Different types of skin cancers

Les cancers de la peau peuvent être de deux types. On retrouve :

• Melanomas: The least common of skin cancers but the most dangerous. Each year there are almost 6500 new cases in France. The melanomas develop themselves on the melanocytes, which are the origin of pigment cells that are located in the deepest part of the epidermis.
• Carcinomas:Less aggressive than melanomas, carcinomas develop themselves on the surface layer of the epidermis. There are two types: the basal cell carcinomas and the squamous cell carcinomas.

Melanomas can appear under the form of a small stain or grow from a mole that changes appearance. Around two thirds of melanomas are linked to sunburns, which happened during childhood or due to excessive sun exposure.

Risk factors

We will never say it enough but the skin has a capital that should be protected. The number of skin cancers increase each year from 5% to 7% in Europe but many tend to think they are not serious, and don’t measure the danger they represent. Here are the most common risk factors:

•       The sun

Despite many information campaigns conducted by health authorities, few people really respect carefully the recommendations regarding sun protection. As a result: about 5 to 7 skin cancers out of 10 are directly linked to sun overexposure. More upsetting is the fact that it is actually possible to efficiently protect ourselves! UVs (UVA and UVB) penetrate into the skin and have negative effects in the long term by accelerating skin ageing and increasing the risk of skin cancers. A good sun protection is therefore essential, especially during childhood because sunburns that occur in the early years of childhood are linked to the development of pigmented naevus (moles), which are one of early signs of potential melanomas.

•       Skin type (phototype)

The emergence of skin cancer is both linked to how a person is sensitive to UV rays and the quantity of UV rays towards which she or he has been exposed. It is therefore a necessity to adapt sun protection your own phototype. The lowest it your phototype – hense the lightest your skin is, the more chances you have to develop a skin cancer. Six photoypes have been identified:

•       Phototype 1 : The skin is very light, eyes are often blue or green, hair is blond or ginger and the skin has many freckles. This type of skin doesn’t get tanned and gets red very easily.

•       Phototype 2 : The skin is very light, some freckles appear after some sun exposure, hair is blond or light brown. This type of skin burns easily and doesn’t tan much

•       Phototype 3 : Sunburns are occasional and this kind of skin tan relatively easily, with no or very few freckles.

•       Phototype 4 : Dark skin with no freckles, dark or brown hair. This kind of skin tans very easily and quickly, sunburns are rare.

•       Phototype 5. The skin is naturally pigmented, sunburns are very rare and this kind of skin tans very easily.

•       Phototype 6. The skin is naturally brown with some melanin which have a protector effect.

•       Family background

Approximately 10% of people with melanoma have family antecedent. It doesn’t mean that skin cancer is hereditary or genetic. But it is important that someone who has many cases of skin cancer in his or her family gets their skin checked regularly.

•       How to prevent against skin cancers?

The best way to prevent from skin cancers is to protect oneself correctly from the sun by protecting your sun capital. Here are few easy tips: to avoid sun exposure for babies and children under 3 years old, to avoid sun exposure between 12 noon and 4pm (even adults), to systematically use a suncream with a high index and renew application on your skin very regularly, to wear high quality sun protective UV swimsuits like CANOPEA, wearing a hat with wide edges and sunglasses.

Check out our collection of sun protective swimwear for babies, girls and boys here.