John Cena by no means thought it might occur to him. However then he obtained the decision — twice. The spots on his skin were cancerous.
Cena’s first skin spot was found on his left pectoral muscle throughout a routine go to to the dermatologist. It was promptly eliminated and despatched for testing. His second spot was observed a 12 months afterward his left higher trapezius muscle.
“I obtained the cellphone name twice, ‘Hey, you’ve obtained to return again, as a result of the biopsy got here again cancerous,’” Cena remembers. “That data is sobering, and it proper there prompted me to vary my life.”
The 16-time WWE world champion, who’s now the face of the brand new Neutrogena marketing campaign for Extremely Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, says he had all the time “uncared for” SPF. However he shortly integrated applying sunscreen into his daily routine, calling it his means of displaying “gratitude” after his most cancers scare.
“Skincare is a extra palatable and accepted time period and subject material amongst ladies,” he says. Discussions between males might be harder to provoke. However it doesn’t need to be that means, he argues. “Males particularly, have gotten extra acutely aware of self-care… I simply assume we have to make it extra commonplace.”
This scan detected Dwyane Wade’s most cancers. Should you get one?
What well being & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Keeping It Together newsletter
Cena desires to shut the ‘gender hole’ in SPF utilization
Girls are more than twice as likely as males to put on sunscreen, however by age 50, males are at a greater risk of melanoma than ladies. And at any age, males usually tend to die from melanoma than ladies, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Solely 12.3% of males – in comparison with 29.0% of ladies – aged 18 years or older all the time used sunscreen when outdoors on a sunny day for greater than 1 hour in 2020, according to the CDC. The bottom proportion of males who all the time used sunscreen was amongst these aged 18-29 years (8.2%); that charge rose to 13.7% amongst males aged 30-44.
Knowledge from a 2025 survey performed by Talker Analysis on behalf of Neutrogena, with a pattern of 500 Hispanic People and 500 basic inhabitants People break up evenly by era, discovered that almost a 3rd of respondents by no means go to a dermatologist or well being skilled for skin-related checkups, and girls had been extra more likely to be suggested to put on SPF daily versus males (27% vs. 18%).
“SPF is extra frequent within the vernacular of ladies, and that’s as a result of it’s instantly correlated with magnificence,” Cena says.
Extra younger persons are getting most cancers
Many younger celebrities have just lately introduced they’ve (or had) most cancers. James Van Der Beek. Jenna Fischer. Olivia Munn. Princess Kate. Elle Macpherson. The checklist goes on.
There is no actual trigger identified for the rise in cancers amongst younger folks, in accordance with consultants, however researchers try to determine it out. However as a silver lining, folks have been less likely to die from cancer over the previous few many years regardless of the growing incidence charge.
For these frightened about their very own threat – sporting SPF is an effective place to start out. Common use of SPF 15 sunscreen can scale back your threat of growing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40 %, and decrease your melanoma threat by 50 %, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
John Cena’s last recommendation for males
He doesn’t care why somebody is prompted to make use of SPF – whether or not or not it’s for magnificence or well being – simply as long as they use it.
“If somebody makes use of SPF, as a result of they do not wish to get wrinkles, it’s like somebody going to the health club saying, ‘I wish to be ripped.’ However being ‘ripped’ is basically making more healthy selections,” he explains. “So you may go to the health club for aesthetic functions, however the reward of coaching goes way over simply aesthetic magnificence. I believe SPF is in the identical lane.”
Cena is aware of that folks should be “proactive sufficient” to make substantial adjustments to their routine, however says it is “tremendous simple” to be extra acutely aware of your pores and skin.
“I’ve completed some fairly aspirational issues within the energy and well being division, so far as dietary selections and coaching regimens, and that’s actually sophisticated, tough stuff,” he says. However sporting SPF is rather like “brushing your tooth.”
His imaginative and prescient for the long run is for males to start out conserving a tube of sunscreen proper subsequent to their toothpaste — and bear in mind to make use of it day by day.
“My perspective on life has modified, however it took some actual sobering information,” he says. “I do not need anyone to get there, so I’m simply attempting to make use of my platform to get forward of that one.”
Contributing: David Oliver
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: John Cena was shocked by his skin cancer. He has a message.
Source link