Rx and over-the-counter pills may compromise your skin's health. Corticosteroids, which are prescribed for dermatitis, allergies and more, can depress the immune system, making for dodgy cell replication. Other drugs can sensitize skin to the sun, including antibiotics (like tetracycline and Bactrim), birth control pills (in genetically predisposed women), certain painkillers (including Aleve and Motrin) and some acne medications (Isotretinoin, Retin-A). If you can't swap meds, be vigilant with sun protection. The good news: Some drugs may offer help. Researchers link statins (a cholesterol suppressant) to lower cancer incidence, but docs don't suggest taking this Rx for this reason alone.
Under normal circumstances, a healthy body is wonderfully resilient: Cells divide, and if they make mistakes in the process, their DNA either produces proteins that correct inconsistencies or these erratic cells die. But if that checkpoint fails, your immune system's antibodies blast mutated cells with fix-it proteins called cytokines. As a result, abnormal cells fade away and you go about your day blissfully unaware of these actions. Minimizing UV exposure is the most effective way to escape skin cancer, because the free radicals the rays create lead to a greater chance of these mistakes happening. But "strengthening your immunity can also help," says Upendra Hegde, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center in Farmington. To keep immunity in fighting form, eat a balanced diet, exercise, de-stress and get enough sleep; meditation and yoga can dramatically lower anxiety. Depending on your habits, "you can be an 84-year-old with a 35-year-old's hardy immune system, or a 35-year-old with an 84-year-old's weak immune system," Dr. Hegde says.
UV rays trigger most skin cancer–causing DNA mutations, but 5 percent to 10 percent, like those in the p53 and BRAF genes, are inherited. If you've had skin cancer, you have an increased risk for a new occurrence within the first five years of surgery. Those with a parent, sibling or child who has had melanoma have a 50 percent greater chance of receiving the same diagnosis compared with those without melanoma in their immediate family. The breast cancer gene mutation BRCA2 is linked to higher melanoma odds, and the skin cancer gene CDKN2A conveys a higher-than-expected risk for breast cancer, the Irish Journal of Medical Science finds. Even your natural hair color matters: Redheads often have the MC1R gene, which causes skin cells to make pheomelanin, a weaker sun blocker than the common eumelanin. Schedule increased screenings if this is you.
Some 90 percent of nonmelanoma cancers and 65 percent of melanomas stem from the sun—its UV rays barrage the skin, wreaking havoc on each cell's DNA. As powerful as UV rays are, you can fend them off with sunscreen—but only if you apply it the right way. To practice safe sun, separate SPF fact from fiction:
My A.M. sunscreen routine keeps me protected all day. The truth Even potent formulas wear off every few hours, especially with friction (as from a phone). And don't get lax in winter: Burning UVB rays fluctuate seasonally, but UVA, the deeper aging rays also linked to skin cancer, persist year-round, even when it's overcast.
Take action "Keeping sunscreen with you at all times can determine how much protection you get," Dr. Marmur says. For midday touch-ups, opt for mineral makeup (which contains a natural sunblock) or formulas with SPF. Choose powder over liquid to make reapplying easier.