Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with more than a million new cases diagnosed each year.

Skin cancer can strike at any age, but it is more common in older people because they've had more years of sun exposure. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce your chance of getting skin cancer, even if you haven't been careful about the sun before.

If you're confused by the numbers and types of sunscreen, welcome to the club. Many Americans, it seems, are so confused by sunscreens that they don't even use them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that only about 30 percent of adults regularly use sunscreen.

As children, many of us were brought up with the notion that looking good meant lying out in the sun to achieve a tan. Little did we know the dangers of excessive sun exposure.

No matter what your age or lifestyle, the choices you make today and in the future can improve your chances of living a healthy and cancer-free life.

If you're looking for a safe way to tan, a tanning booth or salon is not the answer, experts say.

Using sunscreen, covering up and wearing sunglasses that block UV rays will help you enjoy the sunshine safely.

More than half of newly detected melanomas, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, are self-detected by patients. However, physicians are able to detect these cancers at earlier stages, according to The Journal of the American medical Association.