The complete guide to melanoma: Symptoms, causes, and cure

Melanoma, a.k.a malignant melanoma, is the most dangerous skin cancer of them all. It is caused by the abnormal transformation of melanocytes, which are cells that produce the tanning pigment melanin in our body.

- Ria Majumdar

And while reports suggest that nearly 3.1 million people are affected by it every year, the number is believed to increase even more now as global warming and pollution continue to damage the Earth's atmosphere, which is responsible for blocking out the harmful UV rays of the sun. In fact, Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of melanoma in the world, which can be attributed to the damaged ozone layer above these regions. Given all these alarming facts, it's very important for you to know the exact causes and symptoms of melanoma. Especially if you have multiple moles on your body since birth.

What are the causes of melanoma? While nothing causes cancer 100% of the time, the following are some of the biggest risk factors for developing melanoma.

Exposure to UV rays of the sun There are 2 types of UV rays in sunlight: UVA and UVB. And UVB is the more dangerous of the two as it breaks down the DNA of skin cells once it is absorbed through the skin. In fact, Caucasians (whites) are at a greater risk of getting melanoma because they lack the pigment melanin in their skin, which is responsible for protecting you from UV rays. No wonder the indigenous population of tropical countries and continents, like India and Africa, are dark-skinned. They biologically produce more melanin to protect themselves from the abundant sunlight these regions receive throughout the year.

Using indoor tanning booths Tanning booths bombard your skin with artificial UV rays to increase melanin production in your skin. Unfortunately, chronic exposure to these UV rays before the age of 30 has been documented to increase the risk of getting melanoma by almost 75%!