the sun
The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun or sun beds. They can really harm your skin.
If you have blue eyes, fair or red hair, and fair skin that burns easily, you’re more at risk of getting a melanoma, although the risk is still small when you are young. If you’re black, Asian or Hispanic you have a much lower risk, but you can still get it.
Although melanoma doesn’t often affect young people, more people are being diagnosed with it these days because of going on sunny holidays, spending more time in the sun without proper sun protection or using sun beds. More UV rays are also getting through because of damage to the ozone layer.
family history
In a few families, there are several people who have had a malignant melanoma. This could mean that they have inherited a faulty gene that increases their chance of getting it. This is quite rare and if you have melanoma, it doesn’t mean the rest of your family will get it too. If someone in your family has a melanoma and you’re worried about getting it too, it’s a good idea to talk to your GP.
abnormal moles
You may have a higher risk of getting a melanoma if you have lots of strange looking (abnormal) moles. An abnormal mole is
- bigger than 6mm (the size of the blunt end of a pencil)
- might have an irregular shape or fuzzy edges
- may have different shades of the colours tan, brown, black, pink or a bluish tint.
