EXPLAINER | Skin cancer: How to protect your skin and what warning signs to look for

Health-e News EXPLAINER | Skin cancer: How to protect your skin and what warning signs to look for As we head into the warmer summer months and spend more time outdoors, protecting our skin from sun damage becomes increasingly important.

Skin cancer can begin with a small change that is easy to overlook: a sore that does not heal, a new growth, a patch that repeatedly crusts or bleeds, or a mole that starts changing.

Who is at risk? Skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin colour.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an important preventable cause of skin cancer.

The World Health Organisation added broad-spectrum sunscreen to its Model List of Essential Medicines in 2025 for the prevention of skin cancer.

In an op-ed published by Health-e News, Professor Chrysis Sofianos, Academic Head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand, warned that seemingly minor skin changes can become more difficult to treat if ignored.

Sofianos says people with albinism are particularly vulnerable because they have reduced or absent melanin, which normally provides some protection from UV radiation.

What to look out for, and how to reduce your risk? Protection is only half the picture.

Skin cancer does not always look dramatic or cause pain.

Regularly looking at your own skin can make it easier to notice something new or changing.

What are the warning signs? Early detection is important, and any suspicious changes in your skin should be examined by a healthcare professional.

When should you see a healthcare professional? Don’t wait for a suspicious skin change to become painful.

According to Sofiano, skin cancers can initially be painless, and early lesions can resemble ordinary sores, spots or moles.

If you notice a persistent new growth, a sore that does not heal, repeated bleeding or crusting, or a spot or mole that is changing, have it assessed by a healthcare professional.