I am a Dermatologist and I treat skin cancer every day and talk about preventing skin cancer. Everyone knows that sun avoidance, sun protective clothing, and applying a good sunscreen is the best way to reduce the risk of getting skin cancer. I have a secret for you–most patients do not do a good job at protecting themselves. Now, I have heard every excuse in the book, but most just don’t like using sunscreen.
So what do we do with all of these high risk patients that just won’t follow those simple instructions or those who just want to do everything they can to reduce their risk of getting skin cancer? Well, there are two great options:
- Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide, has been well studied and proven to reduce the risk of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis. Taking 500mg twice a day with food is all that it takes to reduce the risk of skin cancer. This is also known as Vitamin B3, which is safe, although some will complain of stomach upset. This vitamin is now included in some topical preparations, such as sunscreens, but is far less studied and likely not nearly as effective.
- Here are some topical products that contain niacinamide: Needle free serum, Clear Defense Sunscreen SPF45, Sheer Defense SPF46 sunscreen
- Take 500mg by mouth twice a day
- Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that is 100-500 times stronger than other antioxidants and may help prevent skin cancer. It is made from shrimp. It has numerous health benefits including reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have shown that it reduces sunburn risk and may be helpful in reducing the risk of skin cancer and photoaging (wrinkles and thinning of the skin secondary to sun exposure), but more studies are needed. In addition, patients skin contains more moisture when taking this supplement. The current recommended dose is 4mg of Astaxanthin per day, which has shown no adverse effects in one study.
Posted in Prevention, Skin Cancer Treatment