Risk factorsBy Mayo Clinic staff Factors that may increase your
risk of squamous cell carcinoma include: - Fair skin. Anyone,
regardless of skin color, can get squamous cell carcinoma.
However, having less pigment (melanin) in your skin provides
less protection from damaging UV radiation. If you have blond or
red hair and light-colored eyes and you freckle or sunburn
easily, you're much more likely to develop skin cancer than is a
person with darker skin. - Excessive sun exposure. Being exposed
to UV light from the sun increases your risk of squamous cell
carcinoma. Spending lots of time in the sun — particularly if
you don't cover your skin with clothing or sunblock — increases
your risk of squamous cell carcinoma even more. - Use of tanning
beds. People who use indoor tanning beds have an increased risk
of squamous cell carcinoma. - A history of sunburns. Having had
one or more blistering sunburns as a child or teenager increases
your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma as an adult.
Sunburns in adult