The short answer
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation is its main preventable cause. You can lower your risk by protecting your skin from the sun, avoiding tanning beds, and understanding your personal risk factors. People of every skin color can get skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and much of it is linked to UV exposure.
UV radiation from the sun and tanning beds is the main preventable cause of skin cancer.
Sun protection means shade, clothing, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) used together.
Avoiding indoor tanning removes an important source of harmful UV.
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The simple version
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. The most common types are basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, and they can usually be treated. A less common type, melanoma, is more serious because it can spread.
The main preventable cause of skin cancer is UV radiation from the sun and from tanning beds. So most skin cancer prevention comes down to lowering how much UV reaches your skin.
Protect your skin from UV, skip tanning beds, and know your risk. Those three steps carry most of the benefit.
UV is the key risk factor to manage
Two main risk factors are ones you can act on: how much UV radiation you get, and how sensitive your skin is to it. UV comes from natural sunlight. It also comes from artificial sources like tanning beds and sun lamps.
Risk factors differ a little between the two main groups of skin cancer. But UV plays a role in both.
- Nonmelanoma skin cancers are linked to long-term sun exposure, fair skin, past radiation treatment, a weakened immune system, and other factors.
- Melanoma is linked to fair skin, many or unusual moles, blistering sunburns (especially in childhood), and a family or personal history of melanoma.
You cannot change your skin type or family history. You can control your UV exposure.
Protect your skin from the sun
Skin experts recommend a set of habits that work together to reduce UV:
- Seek shade, above all during midday when the sun is strongest.
- Cover up with long sleeves, long pants, and tightly woven fabrics.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays.
- Use sunscreen that is broad-spectrum with SPF 15 or higher (the CDC's advice) on skin you cannot cover. The CDC says to do this when the UV index is 3 or higher, and shade is best from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The NCI says it is not known whether nonmelanoma skin cancer risk falls with sunscreen, staying out of the sun, or protective clothing, because there are too few studies. These habits are still the standard advice. That is exactly why these habits are recommended together.
No single step is a magic shield. The layers matter.
Avoid indoor tanning
Tanning beds and sun lamps give off UV, and using them raises skin cancer risk. The CDC says a suntan is not a sign of good health. Any color change from UV signals skin damage.
Avoiding indoor tanning removes a whole source of harmful UV from your life.
Know your risk
Understanding your own risk helps you and your care team decide how careful to be. Talk with a professional if you have:
- Fair skin that freckles or burns easily, light eyes, or red or blond hair
- Many moles or unusual (atypical) moles
- A personal or family history of skin cancer, including melanoma
- A history of blistering sunburns, especially as a child
- A weakened immune system, such as after an organ transplant
People with more risk factors may benefit from stricter sun protection and regular skin checks.
Knowing where you stand turns general advice into a plan that fits you.
A note on treatments and supplements
Most people do not need pills or creams to prevent skin cancer. Studies of supplements such as beta carotene and selenium have not shown a clear benefit, and some had downsides.
Some people already have sun-damaged skin or a history of skin cancer. For them, a doctor may consider certain prescription treatments, such as a topical medicine for sun-damaged skin. These are individual decisions to make with a care team, not general advice for everyone.
Watching your skin over time
Prevention also includes noticing changes. Getting to know your own skin makes it easier to spot something new or unusual. Watch for a mole that changes in size, shape, or color, or a sore that does not heal.
Report changes to your care team. Finding skin cancer early makes it easier to treat, and that is a powerful part of prevention too.
Common questions
What is the single most important thing I can do to prevent skin cancer?
Lowering your exposure to UV radiation is the biggest step. That means protecting your skin from the sun and avoiding tanning beds. UV is the main preventable cause of skin cancer, so reducing it lowers your risk the most.
Does sunscreen alone prevent skin cancer?
The NCI says it is not known whether sunscreen lowers nonmelanoma skin cancer risk, because there are too few studies. The CDC recommends sunscreen together with shade, clothing, a hat, and sunglasses rather than on its own.
Who is at higher risk for skin cancer?
Risk factors include fair skin that burns easily, light-colored eyes, red or blond hair, many moles or unusual moles, a personal or family history of skin cancer, a history of blistering sunburns, and a weakened immune system. Long-term UV exposure raises risk for everyone.
Can people with dark skin get skin cancer?
Yes. People of all skin colors can get skin cancer. Sun protection and being aware of skin changes are worthwhile for everyone.
Are there pills or vitamins that prevent skin cancer?
For most people, there is no proven supplement that prevents skin cancer, and some studied agents have downsides. Certain prescription treatments may be used for people who already have sun-damaged skin or a history of skin cancer. These are decisions to make with a doctor.
How does knowing my risk help?
Understanding your risk factors helps you and your care team decide how carefully to protect your skin and how often to check it. People at higher risk may benefit from more attention to sun protection and regular skin exams.
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Last updated: 2026-08-05Next planned review: 2027-07-04
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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