Top Reasons Why Sun Exposure Can Give You Skin Cancer

Overexposure to the sun does more than make you age faster; it also increases the risk of skin cancer. Although a healthy glow is considered an attractive feature, sun exposure damages the fiber in the skin's elastin, which causes the skin to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to bounce back after being stretched. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States and the numbers keep rising. Here are the top reasons why you need to protect yourself in the sun.

The Sun Decreases Immune Function

Too much exposure to the sun may weaken the immune system in your skin. According to Kim Kripe, chairman at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston of the immunology department, "We do know that ultraviolet light does cause immunological changes in humans. That's clear. It's a fairly subtle effect. It's not total immune suppression like the AIDS virus." Research shows that skin cancer due to immune system suppression seems to affect light skinned and dark skinned people alike.

Sunburns Cause Underlying Skin Damage

Sunburns can cause damage to the genetic material in the skin's cells. If sunburn happens frequently enough, it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which may develop into cancer. Peeling after a sunburn is the body's way of getting rid of damaged skin cells that could possibly lead to cancer. But sometimes even though the skin peels away and forms new layers, underlying damage can remain. Therefore, it is important to avoid burning in the first place.