In the UK, there were 15,419 new diagnoses of melanoma skin cancer in 2014. That’s 42 Brits being diagnosed with skin cancer every single day.

While the survival and prevention rate is pretty high for this specific type of cancer (90% and 86% respectively), 2,459 people in the UK still die as a result of skin cancer each year.

And while there are some skin cancer warning signs you should never ignore, such as a spot, a sore or an ulcer, here are four common things you are doing that could be increasing your risk of developing it.



A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found every glass of white wine you drink a day can increase your chance of melanoma by 13%.

The researchers think this is because of a DNA-damaging enzyme called acetaldehyde, which is found in all alcohol but has higher levels in white wine.

Thought a glass of OJ with your breakfast was great for your vitamin C levels? Drinking a glass of grapefruit or orange juice more than 1.6 times daily can increase your melanoma risk by 36%.

The research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found this is because fruits are rich in psoralen and furocoumarin compounds. These two things are thought to make the skin more sensitive and susceptible to the sun.



Research from Nature Communications shows carrying the gene that gives you red hair – which means it runs in your family but you aren’t a red head yourself – means you have 42% more sun-associated genetic mutations than those who don’t carry the gene.



According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, there was a link found between strains of HPV and the prevalence of a squamous cell carcinomas – a non melanoma kind of skin cancer.

It found the more strains of HPV a person carried, the more likely they were to develop these cells as they aged. This is why it’s good to make sure you don’t have HPV.