Brian Littrell Regrets Not Wearing Sunscreen
- Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell recently shared some serious health news in an interview with Allure magazine, saying he’d had several cancerous spots removed.
- Littrell says that if he could tell his younger self some advice, it would be to protect his skin and wear sunscreen.
- Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the U.S., and you can protect yourself and lower your skin cancer risk by taking prevention steps, like wearing sunscreen daily.
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When spending time at the beach, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. In another Instagram post, Littrell mugs for the camera, and writes, “Beach time reflections ….We need some R&R …..” We love to see Littrell protecting his face on his beach trip by wearing sunglasses.
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What is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. And the classification of the skin cancer (i.e. what type of cancer it is) will affect treatment options and the prognosis. Surgery is the most common treatment method for skin cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most widely diagnosed skin cancer in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year. Melanoma is a more rare but more serious type of skin cancer, that may require a more aggressive treatment path.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Anna Pavlick, an Oncologist at the NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, says that her typical melanoma patients fit a certain profile. She says, “Patients at risk are patients who are fair skinned, blond hair, blue eyes, patients who may have a family history of melanoma or patients who have what we call dysplastic nevus syndrome who are just covered in thousands and thousands of moles.”
“Patients who have already been diagnosed with one melanoma are at an increased risk of getting a second melanoma,” explains Dr. Pavlick.
Am I at High Risk for Melanoma?
How to Protect Your Skin
As Littrell says he’d tell his younger self, it’s so important to protect your skin with sunscreen. The boy band heartthrob also shared with Allure that, as we age, it’s even more important to take care of yourself. He says, “At this point, we’re not 20 years old. Every so often I get a HydraFacial, use moisturizer, and use sunscreen. We are like wine: We’re getting better with time, but you’ve got to massage those grapes and keep them good and juicy and plump.”
Wearing sunscreen and getting skin checks are important cancer-prevention steps to take. In a previous interview, dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman outlines five easy ways to protect your skin. She says:
- Avoid the sun during peak hours. This means from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It doesn't mean you should never go outside during the middle of the day, but make sure you're protected when you do venture outdoors.
- Cover your skin and eyes. A wide brim hat and sunglasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
- Affirming Littrell’s advice to his younger self, Dr. Engelman says: Wear an SPF of 30 or higher. Plenty of facial moisturizers have SPF built into them. Reapply often.
- Get an annual skin check. You can check your own skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to make sure you didn't miss anything. If you do happen to notice anything out of the ordinary in between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about it ASAP it is always worth it to make sure.
- Avoid tanning beds. "There's absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed," Dr. Engelman says.
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer
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