Get a pair of stylish wraparound sunglasses or a pair with side shades to maximize protection of the eye and lid. Risky Business Overexposure to sunlight is the single greatest risk factor for skin cancers. Fortunately, it's also the easiest to control. There are many risk factors for skin cancer over which we have little or no control. People with a family history of skin cancer are at greater risk, as are those of Northern European descent.
Men are two to three times more likely than women to have certain types of skin cancers.
So do workers with industrial exposure to arsenic, coal, tar, paraffin and certain oils. People whose immune systems are compromised, either through genetics, chemotherapies or HIV, are at increased risk of skin cancers. People in high-risk categories should be especially careful about managing sun exposure and should never try to tan. Not only are they more likely to get burned, they are far more likely to suffer long-term effects from sun damage. A bottle of sunscreen, applied often, will go a long way toward avoiding painful sunburns and long-term skin damage.