Dermatologist says one sunburn can increase risk of skin cancer
During this Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Downie is stressing the importance of protecting your skin in the sun and being proactive about getting it checked out.
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About 112,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2026, according to the American Cancer Society.
"Skin cancers are not just nothing. When people think 'Oh, this is just a little thing on my skin.' No, it's not," says Dr. Jeanine Downie, a board-certified dermatologist with Image Dermatology in Montclair, New Jersey.
During this Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Downie is stressing the importance of protecting your skin in the sun and being proactive about getting it checked out.
"What I personally recommend as a board-certified dermatologist is that once a year, everyone 20 and above — Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, it does not matter — should get a full-body screening once a year," says Dr. Downie.
She says May sunburns can also cause issues. "Quiet incidental May sunburns, where we are right now, really make a difference. They really increase your risk of skin cancer, and that's for all races and ethnicities," Dr. Downie says. "With one sunburn, you could increase your risk of skin cancer. Many people have multiple sunburns over their life, and that greatly increases the risk of skin cancer."
Dr. Downie says to also pay attention to moles or non-healing sores. "I tell everybody the same thing. If they see something that's very elevated, something that's just not healing properly, that also is a reason why we need people to have their moles checked out."
The board-certified dermatologist says it's important for people with darker skin tones to stay mindful of sun exposure. Late-stage melanoma diagnoses are more common among Black and Hispanic individuals, which leads to lower survival rates.
The American Cancer Society says the melanoma risk for white people is 3%, for Black people it's 0.1%, and for Hispanic people 0.5%. However, ACS says it all depends on risk factors like UV light exposure, family history, and a weakened immune system, to name a few.
