Why is skin cancer more common in old age?

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  A Dr. Coren M. Menendez, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  Skin cancer is more common in old age because older people may have long-term exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays -- a trigger for skin cancer. Experts are still trying to map out the pathways that lead to someone getting melanoma. Older people with long-term exposure to the sun are at risk, but more and more young people are being seen with melanoma.
  
  People need to learn about the importance of wearing sunscreen, hats and sunglasses to protect their skin and watching their skin for changes. At-risk people also need to see a dermatologist for regular full-body exams.
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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  

  The risk of skin cancer increases in old age as the body loses the ability to replace worn-out cells with perfect new cells.  Watch the animation to see all the effects of aging on the skin.
  
  
  
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  A UCLA Health answered

  Skin cancer is more common with age because damage from ultraviolet (UV) light builds up over time. Ultraviolet light, whether from the sun or tanning lamps, changes the DNA in your skin cells. DNA is the coding that tells your cells how to reproduce. If the DNA is damaged, the cells may produce cancer cells instead of healthy ones. Also, with age your body's ability to find and destroy cancer cells decreases. Finally, you produce fewer new skin cells, so the proportion of old skin cells is higher. Older cells behave differently. For example, young fibroblasts — cells that make the structure connecting skin and other tissues — help control the growth of other cells. Older fibroblasts don't do this as well, and cells that grow in an unregulated way can sometimes result in tumors.
  
  Use a sunscreen and wear protective clothing to safeguard your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
  
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