Does sun exposure cause skin cancer in men — and does skin cancer kill men at different rates than women?

Melanoma mortality rates are significantly higher in men than women at comparable ages, men over 50 have more than double the melanoma mortality rate of age-matched women, driven by later detection (men are less likely to monitor skin changes), more posterior body location of melanomas (less self-visible), and possible biological differences in UV-induced DNA repair capacity (Paulson et al., J Am Acad Dermatol, 2020).

UV-B (280–315 nm) radiation directly damages keratinocyte DNA, causing pyrimidine dimer formation that drives squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. UV-A (315–400 nm) penetrates deeper, damaging dermal collagen and contributing to melanoma. The message for men over 40: annual full-body skin examination by a dermatologist, attention to changing moles (ABCDE criteria: Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolution), and daily SPF are life-saving habits, not vanity. Skin cancer in men is a preventable cause of premature death that is systematically under-screened.

Honesty Scale: Solid (1) for UV radiation as the primary driver of skin cancer. Solid (1) for the male-female mortality differential in melanoma.

What to do: Schedule an annual dermatology appointment for a full-body skin check if you are over 40 and have significant lifetime sun exposure (outdoor work, sports, beach/pool access). Do not self-diagnose changing moles, show them to a board-certified dermatologist.

For the full picture, read The Skin Health Deep Dive