#Sunprotection

A surprising new look at tattoos and skin cancer is turning the usual cautionary tale on its head. In a large population-based study conducted in Utah, researchers found that people with two or more tattoos showed a lower associated risk of melanoma than those with none or just one tattoo. The strongest signal appeared in individuals with four or more tattoos. Yet the researchers were quick to caution that this is far from a verdict that tattoos protect against skin cancer. The pattern likely reflects unmeasured factors—such as sun-safety behaviors and other health-conscious choices—not a direct protective effect from ink.

A large wave of new evidence is adding to the chorus of dermatologists recommending nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, as a daily supplement to help prevent new skin cancers in people at high risk. In a growing body of research, this common dietary ingredient—already familiar to many as a multivitamin staple—appears to reduce the number of new skin cancer cases when taken regularly over time. The findings come amid a broader push in public health to combine everyday wellness habits with proven medical prevention strategies, a message that resonates deeply in sun-soaked Thailand where outdoor work and cultural gatherings intensify UV exposure.

A landmark study from a leading health institute shows that beta HPV, a common skin virus, can directly drive skin cancer in individuals with severely weakened immune systems. Published in a top medical journal, the findings reshape our understanding of how some skin cancers develop and underscore the need for vigilant monitoring among at-risk groups. For Thai readers, the research aligns with rising non-melanoma skin cancer rates and increasing use of immunosuppressive therapies in the region.

A groundbreaking study from the National Institutes of Health in the United States has confirmed for the first time that a form of human papillomavirus (HPV) commonly found on the skin—beta HPV—can directly cause skin cancer in individuals with severely weakened immune systems. The findings, published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, have significant implications for how some skin cancers may develop and reinforce the importance of vigilant health monitoring in immunocompromised populations. For Thai readers, this development is particularly relevant given the rising rates of both non-melanoma skin cancer and immunosuppressive conditions in the region.