Researchers found that regular alcohol consumption can set off a chain of reactions in the body that makes the skin more vulnerable to cancer.
Ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde soon after ingestion and this compound may render the skin more sensitive to harmful UV light, they said.
According to the study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, consuming an alcoholic drink or more a day increases skin cancer risk by a fifth.
Researchers looked at 16 different studies involving thousands of participants, and found that risk increased proportionately with alcohol intake.
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"This can lead to far greater cellular damage and subsequently cause skin cancers to form," Negri said.
"This study aimed to quantify the extent to which the melanoma risk is increased with alcohol intake, and we hope that armed with this knowledge people can better protect themselves in the sun," Negri said.
Drinkers may lounge in the sun without enough protective clothing or suncream, they said.