Prevention check
Should I get advice on preventing skin cancer?
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and UV radiation causes most cases. The US Preventive Services Task Force says who should get counseling on sun protection. Check where you or your child fall.
About the person
Answer for yourself or for your child. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
Whether the USPSTF recommends sun-protection counseling for you or your child.
Educational only, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about sun protection.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, March 2018 recommendation on behavioral counseling to prevent skin cancer.
Validated in
People aged 6 months and older with no symptoms and no history of skin cancer. The recommendation is limited to fair skin types.
Limits
It is not a skin check and does not judge any mole or spot. It covers advice on sun protection, not screening for skin cancer.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Children, teens and young adults aged 6 months to 24 years with fair skin, and parents of young children | Counsel about minimizing UV exposure | B |
| Adults older than 24 with fair skin | Selectively offer counseling, weighing risk factors | C |
| Adults | Evidence insufficient on counseling about skin self-examination | I |
Fair skin types mean ivory or pale skin, light eye color, red or blond hair, freckles, or skin that sunburns easily (USPSTF 2018). Most trials of sun-protection counseling included mainly people with fair skin, so the USPSTF limited its recommendation to them. It notes that studies in people without a fair skin type are lacking (USPSTF 2018).
Why it matters
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Most cases are basal or squamous cell carcinoma. Invasive melanoma makes up 2% of skin cancer cases but 80% of skin cancer deaths, and 2.2% of adults will be diagnosed with melanoma in their lifetime (USPSTF 2018). UV radiation is a known carcinogen that damages DNA and causes most skin cancer cases. Exposure in childhood and the teen years raises the risk of skin cancer later in life, especially when the damage is more severe, such as with bad sunburns (USPSTF 2018).
Who is at higher risk
Beyond fair skin, the USPSTF lists a history of sunburns, past indoor tanning, and a family or personal history of skin cancer. People with many moles or atypical moles are at higher risk of melanoma, and people with a weakened immune system, such as those living with HIV or who have had an organ transplant, are at higher risk of skin cancer (USPSTF 2018). For adults over 24, clinicians weigh these factors when deciding whether to offer counseling (USPSTF 2018).
What the counseling covers
Counseling targets sun-protection habits: broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher; hats, sunglasses or sun-protective clothing; avoiding sun exposure; seeking shade during midday hours (10 am to 4 pm); and avoiding indoor tanning (USPSTF 2018). Counseling led to a moderate increase in these habits in people aged 6 months to 24 years and a small increase in older adults. The harms were judged small (USPSTF 2018). For children, most programs were aimed at parents. Messages about how UV ages the skin also increased sun protection, as did cancer-focused messages (USPSTF 2018).
The USPSTF also cites the FDA: broad-spectrum sunscreens with SPF 15 or higher, reapplied at least every 2 hours, protect against both UVA and UVB and reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging (USPSTF 2018).
Common questions
Why does it start at 6 months?
Newer studies in children younger than 10 led the USPSTF to lower the starting age from 10 to 6 months, the minimum age recommended for sunscreen use (USPSTF 2018).
Should I check my own skin?
The USPSTF found too little evidence to say whether counseling adults to examine their own skin does more good than harm. Possible harms include worry, and biopsies that can cause pain, bleeding, scarring or infection (USPSTF 2018).
Also see the skin cancer screening check, the HIV screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Behavioral Counseling to Prevent Skin Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2018;319(11):1134. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-counseling
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.