John Cena explains importance of wearing SPF as he reveals biggest learning curve from skin cancer diagnosis
John Cena has urged people to step up their skincare routine after revealing his skin cancer diagnosis.
Yesterday (1 April), the wrestler and actor opened up about how his attitude towards sun protection changed after he removed two cancerous spots from his body.
"I was stubborn," he explained to PEOPLE, adding that he would often go outside in the sun with minimal or no suncream on. "I also thought the problem would never reach me. And it's one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection and it caught up with me."
After having the two spots removed, one on his upper right arm and a second near his right shoulder, the WWE star has now teamed up with skincare brand Neutrogena to raise awareness about the importance of adequate sun protection.
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Inspired by his iconic 'You Can't See Me' song and gesture, Cena is promoting the brand's Ultra Sheer factor 70 Sunscreen in order to encourage others to take SPF seriously as part of their 'Sunscreen You Can’t See’ campaign.
"I learned the hard way that you need to wear your sunscreen," the 47-year-old told Forbes.
He continued: "They have a lane for whatever you fancy. They make it a no excuse policy—if you want chemical, if you want mineral, if you want spray, if you want lotion. The thing is, for the longest time, I didn't want to waste the time."
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ABCDE RULE TO CHECK MOLES FOR SKIN CANCER
"I didn't want to have a skincare routine. I didn't want to take an extra step. But when you get some information that isn't exactly good news to process, you look back, you're like, man, I was just so stupid."
Going on to explain why he felt 'excited' to partner with the skincare brand, Cena added that he admired their 'no nonsense policy' to making sure suncream is accessible to everyone.
"I'm very excited and grateful to be an advocate," he said. "To tell people please apply sunscreen, because it could really save you some problems down the road.
"If I can give a message to anybody out there, please don't neglect your skin and take care of it.
What are the warning signs of skin cancer?
According to the NHS, the most common cause for both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer is ultraviolet (UV) light, which comes from overexposure to the sun as well as equipment such as tanning beds. Cancer Research UK adds that 9 in 10 skin cancer cases UK involving melanomas could be prevented by adequate sun protection.
Symptoms of the disease vary between melanomas and non-melanomas, however both feature either the appearance of a mole (melanoma) or a growth on the skin (non-melanoma).
Sudden changes to an existing mole can also be a warning skin of a melanoma skin cancer.
Brenna Cooper