Many of us have joyful and fun-loving memories of our childhood – playing in the sand at the beach, swimming the days of summer away, scoring goals on a soccer team, or jumping off the swing set in the backyard on a sunny afternoon. More likely than not, these glorious days of outdoor play and activity resulted in a sunburn or two, or ten. 

While most sunburns heal in a few days and are viewed as no more than painful inconveniences, having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, the most dangerous and deadly of skin cancers. This article will review the three types of skin cancer and how the early detection of skin abnormalities can save lives. 

THE RUNDOWN

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and by definition, the least dangerous. This type of cancer develops in the basal cells of the epidermis and its main cause is exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning beds. 

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma grows in the flat cells of the surface of the epidermis. Its main cause also comes from ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds. 

Kathleen Nordby has a bachelor’s in journalism from CSU Chico and wrote professionally for about five years. She spent 20 years raising three beautiful girls and teaching music and theatre at elementary, junior high, and high school levels. She became a California licensed aesthetician 15 years ago and worked in high end spas as well as owning her business. In 2017, she moved to Oregon and became certified in advanced aesthetics and oncology aesthetics. She worked in a medical spa, where she loved performing laser treatments and microneedling. In 2020, she began educating in a premiere aesthetics school in Oregon and has built a small cancer survivor clientele. She is passionate about skin and truly loves the honor and privilege of teaching the future of the industry.