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A University of Queensland study has found skin with few visible freckles or blemishes may still carry sun-damaged DNA mutations that can trigger cancer.

Researchers from investigated the relationship between the number of mutations found in 鈥榥ormal-looking鈥� skin and the number of a person鈥檚 past skin cancers.

Lead author and PhD candidate Ho Yi Wong said the findings 鈥� published in the journal 鈥� show Australians can still have a high number of mutations in skin they think looks normal.

鈥淲e took skin samples from the forearms of 37 skin cancer patients which were frequently sun exposed,鈥� Wong said.

鈥淭hey had an average of 4鈥�5 times more mutations in normal-looking skin compared to similar studies overseas.

鈥淭he higher mutation levels are likely due to Australia having 2鈥�4 times higher levels of ultraviolet light than the United Kingdom and Europe.鈥�

The study next matched people of the same age and sex who had a different number of skin cancers.

鈥淥ne group had many skin cancers and the other group had few to none in the past five years,鈥� Wong said.

鈥淲e found a 45% difference between the groups, with a much larger number of mutations on the forearms of those with more skin cancers.鈥�

Around two-thirds of Australians will develop a skin cancer during their lifetime, and Queensland leads the world in common skin cancers such as basal and squamous cell carcinomas.

Senior author Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani said the findings explain in part why people with a single skin cancer have a much higher chance of developing others in the same area of the body in the future.

鈥淭he findings also suggest that if we reduce mutation levels in normal-looking skin then we could reduce the risk of new skin cancers,鈥� Khosrotehrani said.

鈥淲e found laser treatments and dermabrasion can 鈥榳ipe away鈥� skin mutations and reduce the risk of skin cancer, but this approach is not applicable to everyone.

鈥淟asers and dermabrasion are difficult and expensive to implement at large scale, which is why other therapies are needed.

鈥淥ur next step is to explore therapies that can reduce the load of skin mutations.鈥�

Image credit: iStock.com/kali9