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Skin cancer develops in the skin’s cells and has the potential to spread to other body parts, harm adjacent tissue, and spread. It is said that skin cancer can be treated and combatted if detected at an early stage. Children rarely develop skin cancer. However, from the 1970s until 2009, it rose by around 2% each year, mostly among teenagers.

How can you identify skin cancer in children?

Doctors say that Melanoma i.e. skin cancer looks different in children. A small raised bump or a flat, irregularly shaped pink or red spot indicates that your child might have skin cancer. At times children can have a mole since birth, but if it increases over the duration of time or it starts causing pain then medical assistance should be provided. Severe and reoccurring sunburns are also a symptom of Melanoma.

Measures to prevent skin cancer

The main cause of skin cancer is sun exposure. People with fair skin, light-colored eyes, and blond or red hair are more likely to get skin cancer. Children who get freckles, sunburn, and tan easily are at higher risk. It is extremely crucial to make sure that preventive measures are taken in order to avert skin cancer. Given that children go out to play on a regular basis and have to attend the school assemblies which are held in open ground(mostly), it is crucial for parents to make sure that their children wear sunscreen regularly. The sunscreen should be SPF 15 at least. Parents also need to put a limit on their children’s outdoor time and they should provide them with protective clothing, like arm sleeves, etc. Inculcating the habit of playing in the early morning or late evening is healthy because they won’t be exposed to sunlight directly. And to make up for Vitamin D it is suggested that a healthy diet and supplements should be used instead of seeking the sun.

Parents should examine their children’s bodies regularly as finding suspicious moles or skin cancer early is the key to treating skin cancer successfully.