Doctor says skin cancer trigger 'looks different in different people’

Dr Muneeb Shah, known as the DermDoctor online, has racked up millions of followers thanks to his insightful content about skincare. Speaking to fellow internet-famed Doctor Karan Rajan, the expert dropped a major bombshell warning that many people may have good intentions but are incorrectly protecting their skin from skin cancer.

He highlighted the worrying uptick in diagnoses, saying: “Half of my patients are skin cancer patients, actually.” Dr Karan pointed out a similar increase in “skin influencers” online who can swing between extremes on the health scale, either recommending tanning beds for healthy skin or setting alarms to apply sunscreen every two hours without fail.

Putting an end to the debate, Dr Muneed revealed that the skincare routine you use to protect yourself from skin cancer must be entirely unique to you. He explained: “Sun protection in general, that can look different in many different people.”

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On the Dr Karan Explores podcast, he assured listeners that they don’t need to set alarms and reminders to apply sunscreen more frequently. He added: “I tell people to wear sunscreen at least once in the morning. And if you're able to reapply it if you're in the sun, then that's definitely a good thing to do.

“I think that if you're just being thoughtful and protective of your skin, you don't have to be setting your clock to every two hours. You know, though there are some skin influencers that would suggest that you have to.”

The dermatologist also recommended wearing “sun protective clothing” and avoiding sunburns to lower your chances of skin cancer. Speaking directly to parents, the expert noted: “This starts at a very young age, which means that the parents need to be involved in this process as well. Because sun we know that sunburns and sun exposure as a child can also affect your risk of developing skin cancer later on.”