The majority will be men over 50 years old. 800,000 people will develop skin cancer in 1996. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Arizona reports the highest rate of skin cancer in the United States. It is easier to burn more severely on a hot day because the heat increases the effects of ultraviolet radiation It is easier to burn at high altitudes and in the mountains because there is less atmosphere to block ultraviolet rays.
Wind tends to increase the ill effects of the sun's rays.
Tanning occurs when the UV rays penetrate through to the skin's inner layer to produce more melanin, which then moves toward the outer layers and becomes visible as a tan. Melanin occurs naturally within the body based on skin type. Overexposure to sunlight causes more than 90 percent of all skin cancers. The sun's burning rays, UV-B, cause suntan, sunburn and skin cancer. UV-A rays weaken the skin's structure by diminishing production of elastin and collagen.