You already know it's important to wear sunscreen and stick to the shade in order to minimize your odds of developing skin cancer. But a new study has found there might be another defense, too.
Researchers in the U.S. and Denmark discovered that people who take painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen are less likely to develop skin cancer, including melanoma, the most deadly form of the disease. And you don't even have to take it every day: People who took common painkillers twice a week were at a lower risk than those who didn't take painkillers.
For the study, scientists looked at cancer cases over the span of 18 years, and compared it against a database that recorded patients' painkiller use.
They discovered that people who used aspirin or ibuprofen had a 13 percent lower risk of developing melanoma, and a 15 percent lower risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. People who regularly took aspirin also had a 17 percent reduced risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer in the U.S. And the longer people took the painkillers, the lower their odds of developing any form of skin cancer.
That said, you shouldn't just start taking aspirin on a daily basis without talking to your doctor—it can have harmful side effects—but the good news is that researchers are hoping to use this new info to develop a safer preventative option for consumers.
Our advice: For now, keep wearing daily sunscreen and take aspirin only when you have a headache or bad cramps. And if you do want to up your skin cancer defense, try one of these safe tricks.
Want more tips on how to protect your skin? Click here for info on Cosmo's Practice Safe Sun campaign.