Importance of skin checks for people with darker skin

By Alex Osiadacz

One out of 5 people in the U.S. will develop a form of skin cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. For people with darker skin tones, incidence of late-stage skin cancer is rising.

Watch this video to hear Naiara Sbroggio Barbosa, M.D., a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, explain how people with darker skin tones can protect themselves from skin cancer:

Skin cancer can be disfiguring or even deadly, which is why early detection and treatment is so important.

"Darker skin individuals have a much lower chance of skin cancers," says Dr. Sbroggio Barbosa. "However, they have more complications from those cancers because often they are not diagnosed promptly."

With increased sun exposure comes a greater risk of skin cancer. Dr. Sbroggio Barbosa says there are simple things you can do to protect your skin.

"Using sunscreen, we usually recommend SPF (sun protection factor) 30 or higher, making sure to reapply the sunscreen, especially if you're going to be outside every two or three hours," she says.

It is also important to cover your skin with clothing, a hat or seeking shade during hours of peak sun. Dr. Sbroggio Barbosa says skin cancer can present differently in different people, such as melanoma under a fingernail or toenail, which is why she stresses regular skin checks.

"Once a month or every other month, you should try to look at your whole skin and see if there's anything that looks unusual or that might be changing," says Dr. Sbroggio Barbosa.

Learn more

Learn more about skin cancer and find a skin cancer clinical trial at Mayo Clinic.

Also read this article: "Dear Mayo Clinic: Bleeding moles and skin checks."

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A version of this article was originally published on the Mayo Clinic News Network.