CancerPreventive careSkin health

4 ways to protect your skin after skin cancer

Here are four ways to protect your skin and reduce your risk of getting more skin cancer.


LearnCancerSkin cancer4 ways to protect your skin after skin cancer
Use plenty of sunscreen
Think beyond the lotion
Perform self-checks
Attend follow-up care

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If you've had melanoma once, your odds of getting it again are nine times higher than for people who have not had this type of skin cancer, which is uncommon but grows and spreads quickly in the body. Even if you haven't had melanoma, but instead have had another kind of skin cancer, you have an increased risk of developing skin cancer again.

That's why it's so important to protect yourself. With some preparation and vigilance, you can take steps to help prevent this potentially deadly disease from coming back.

Sources: American Academy of Dermatology Associat... + 8
  1. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Skin Cancer Stats.” 2021. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  2. Cancer Research UK. “Skin care after skin cancer.” October 22, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  3. American Cancer Society. “Living as a Basal or Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Survivor.” July 26, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  4. AH Fischer, TS Wang, et al. “Sunburn and sun-protective behaviors among adults with and without previous nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC): A population-based study.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. August 1, 2016. Volume 75, Issue 2, pp 371-379.e5.
  5. American Cancer Society. “How Do I Protect Myself from Ultraviolet (UV) Rays?.” July 23, 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  6. Skin Cancer Foundation. “Skin Cancer Prevention” 2021. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  7. Cancer.net. “Skin Cancer (Non-Melanoma): Follow-Up Care.” July 2019. Accessed May 21, 2021.
  8. E Benati, C Longo, et al. “Baldness and scalp melanoma.” Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. December 2017. 31(12):e528-e530.
  9. American Academy of Dermatology Association. “Indoor tanning use.” 2021. Accessed September 15, 2021.
Written by Kristen Sturt.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.October, 2023
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Kristen Sturt.
Medically reviewed by Ann Wendling, MD, MPH.October, 2023
Updated onAugust, 2026
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