Intro:

Invasive melanoma incidences are expected to total 97,610 in 2023, with 58,120 instances in males and 39,490 in women, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. 5,420 men will be among the 7,990 melanoma fatalities. Melanoma is a disease that spreads quickly and can affect other organs as well as blood vessels and lymph nodes, according to the Skin Disease Foundation.

What makes males more susceptible to melanoma, the most fatal type of skin cancer?

According to certain research, men's skin may not retain antioxidants as well as women's skin, which could increase the risk of skin cancer. Others contend that women's higher amounts of estrogen may provide skin defense. According to surveys, men are less likely to know about the risks of skin cancer than women, which makes them less inclined to wear sunscreen.

Sunscreen use in the US has been researched by behavioral scientist Dawn M. Holman from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In contrast to only around a quarter of men, she notes that "about half of women say they regularly use sunscreen when they're spending time outdoors on a sunny day." Additionally, more than 40% of men claim to never wear sunscreen when outside in the sun.

Men lack knowledge of sun harm:

According to Ida Orengo, professor, and chair of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Waco, Texas, men typically work and play outdoors more than women do. Consequently, they "tend to get more lifetime cumulative sun exposure."

Men also appear to be less aware of the sun's dangers. In an American Academy of Dermatology study on sun exposure and the risk of cancer, fewer men than women provided accurate responses.
Men more frequently believed that you might have a good tan (all tans, according to Orengo, signal UV damage to the skin), that a "base tan" could protect you from the sun (it cannot), and that skin cancer could not occur in inconspicuous areas like the flesh between your toes.

Experts concur that staying out of the sun is one of the greatest methods to prevent skin cancer. However, if you're going to spend time outside, you should take precautions. Sunscreen may be applied using a lotion, cream, stick, or spray. Orengo advises choosing one you like and using it.
Holman advises covering any exposed skin, especially the back of your neck and your ears. Apply sunscreen again every two hours, after swimming, or whenever you start to perspire. And be sure to properly apply sunscreen to your skin if you have a beard. Don't rely on hair to keep your skin protected.

In Holman's opinion, sunscreen is insufficient. Wear a hat and sunglasses, and seek out shade whenever you can. Additionally, stay away from the sun's damaging rays: Consult the UV index if your phone's weather app has one. When the index is higher than five, stay indoors during the daytime. Stay inside if the temperature is 11 or higher. Also, think about wearing UV-protective clothing. You don't need to use sunscreen on that entire vast portion of your body because it provides the equivalent of a 50 SPF. Once that happens, you won't need anyone else to support you.

Spread ratio:

The fact that men frequently develop melanoma on their backs and the tops of their heads—areas they can't see—presents another difficulty for guys. Men frequently overlook the shifting moles that are melanoma's telltale sign because of this. That could account for certain research findings that men with partners experience healthier outcomes and earlier melanoma detection than solo men.

In addition, whereas Black men are more likely to die from melanoma after diagnosis, White men are more likely to be diagnosed with it, possibly because their diagnoses are typically made at a later stage. The body's immune system repairs the harm. The immune system may become ineffective as you age, such as when you are in your 40s, 50s, or 60s. Your immune system is unable to repair the DNA damage when it breaks down once more, and cancer spreads.