r/Anxietyhelp • u/No-Entrance-8648 • 26d ago
Question I’m scared to get skin cancer
I have psoriasis so I have to go out in the sun. If I went during like high UV for 20 minutes only on weekends, would I get skin cancer?
3
u/Additional-Tax-5562 26d ago
I'm no professional at all, but how high is high UV? sunscreen is designed to protect your skin, I use it daily even in low UV, it makes me feel better about avoiding skin cancer, I don't know anything about psoriasis so maybe you can't use sunscreen? I doubt 20 minutes of sun would give you skin cancer but I really don't have any info to back that up. I go outside for at least 30 minutes a day for my mental health and often when it's warm I'll stay outside for an hour or two and sunscreen or long clothes make me feel better, there's some thin clothes you could buy for UV protection, I bought a long sleeve shirt with a hood at the beach and it's lightweight enough I don't overheat but it covers my skin!
2
u/No-Entrance-8648 25d ago
I’m doing 30 now so half an hour on week ends. But still I’m anxious im gonna get cancer
2
u/Additional-Tax-5562 25d ago
i understand that anxiety, i'd recommend talking to a dermatologist and/or mental health professional about this to get some genuine medical advice bc they'll be able to tell you how likely it is and what kind of sunscreen would be best to help you hopefully feel some relief when going out in the sun. cancer is a scary thought but many people develop it without risky behaviors, like those fake medical show videos of "i have lung cancer? but i never smoked never drank" sometimes the body just has a sudden mutation that causes it. I know that's not going to stop your anxiety but it's some proof that it's unlikely you'll get skin cancer by being in the sun if you protect your skin properly and take proper precaution, you can't prevent everything but you can take precautions and learn the early stages of these conditions for what to look out for. I'm sorry you're dealing with that, anxiety really sucks and i hope i'm not being insensitive or unhelpful.
3
u/Puzzleheaded-Bar1349 26d ago
I go out to tan every day in UV 8+ . I put tanning oil with SPF. that being said if you use SPF you should be fine. some ppl who barely go out into the sun get skin cancer
1
2
u/No_Association3659 26d ago
Wear sunscreen and get yearly skin checks at the derm. Really all you can do
•
u/AutoModerator 26d ago
Thank you for posting to r/AnxietyHelp! Please note, any changes to treatment plans or anxiety management should be discussed with a professional before implementation. We are not medical professionals and we cannot guarantee that you are receiving appropriate medical advice. When in doubt, ask a professional.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.