[tammy]

tammy asked the Naked Scientists:

hello. I want to know what can cause skin cancer?

What do you think?

[LeeE]

It can happen either through direct wounding to the skin (this is very rare), direct contact with carciogenic chemicals or compounds, or through exposure to ultra violet light, which is energetic enough to disrupt the atoms in the cells making up the skin.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionising_radiation