-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Tiffany Wilson noticed a small growth on her left hip , she did n't think much of it . Tiffany Wilson , 41 , found a bump on her hip that she thought was a pimple . It turned out to be skin cancer . `` It was bizarre , '' recalled the 41-year-old salon owner from Minneapolis , Minnesota . `` I just thought it was a pimple . '' Wilson , who is African-American , ca n't say exactly what prompted her to point out the bump to her physician , but she said she remembered thinking the diagnosis would n't be anything serious . `` It never occurred to me that it was skin cancer , '' she said . But it was . She had basal cell carcinoma , the most common skin cancer . Wilson spent long hours as a child in the summer sun at Lake Nokomis in Minnesota and went to the tanning bed before visiting relatives in the Caribbean , she said . She also said she never wore sunscreen . `` Back then , I just do n't think people were aware of the effects -LSB- of the sun -RSB- , '' she said . Those may seem like obvious red flags to people who are sun-conscious , but they were foreign concepts to Wilson , which is why her diagnosis came as a shock . `` I just assumed , ` I 'm a person of color , I 'll be OK , ' '' she said . Dermatologists say they are concerned because skin cancer rates are increasing among minority groups in the United States . Like Wilson , many people of color often mistakenly believe skin cancer is not something they should be worried about . Pigmentation is no ` free pass ' The reasoning is not completely far-fetched : Darker-skinned people do benefit from the protective effects of skin pigmentation . In fact , some studies suggest that for the darkest skin tones , pigmentation cells provide a natural sun protection factor , or SPF , of about 13 . The problem is many dark-skinned people believe that means they are born with a natural immunity to skin cancer . `` Pigmentation does n't give you a free pass , '' said Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III , a dermatologist specializing in ethnic skin and the doctor who treated Tiffany Wilson . `` It does n't matter what color your skin is , everyone can get skin cancer . '' Bob Marley , for example , died of malignant melanoma , the most lethal type of skin cancer , that spread to his lungs and brain . All types of skin cancer are increasing among blacks and Hispanics , and their melanomas are more often fatal because they are usually caught later , according to the American Academy of Dermatology . Crutchfield pointed out that pigmentation may have sun-protective qualities but even for the darkest skin it falls short of the AAD 's recommendation of a daily SPF of at least 15 for everyone . Crutchfield feels many ethnic groups are missing that key part of the message , if they are getting the message at all . Blog : How to pick the right sunscreen Researchers acknowledge that many of the messages regarding skin cancer prevention have traditionally targeted fair-skinned people , a group 10 times more likely to develop melanoma . Now , dermatologists say , more needs to be done to encourage all groups to take precautions against sun damage . A Consumer Reports survey found only 27 percent of people with self-described darker skin applied sunscreen when they were in the sun for four hours or more , compared with 64 percent of people with self-described light skin . The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009 there will be more than 1 million unreported cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer -- most of them curable -- and that more than 68,000 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed . For melanoma , the key to a cure is early detection . That 's why dermatologists caution everyone to be vigilant and learn the risks for their skin type . `` Race is very important because not all skin is the same , '' said Dr. Susan Taylor of The Skin of Color Center , a dermatology group focusing on the needs of patients of color . According to Taylor , people with darker skin often get diagnosed at later stages because the cancers often appear in atypical locations . Melanomas in African-Americans and darker-skinned Hispanics and Asians develop more commonly on the palms , soles of the feet , toenails , fingernails and in mucus membranes like around the mouth and genitals , she said . In Caucasian and lighter-skinned Hispanics , melanomas more frequently appear on the back in men and on the legs in women . Also , the signs of melanoma may vary depending on skin tone . `` Skin hue can affect the way lesions look , '' Crutchfield said . `` Things that appear red in white skin often look completely different in skin of color . '' Historically , research and teaching was done on fairer-skinned people , making it more challenging for physicians to recognize suspicious moles on darker skin . While these differences present challenges , they are certainly not barriers . Experts say , the best thing to do is keep it simple . `` If you have any lesion or mole change at all , or if you have a spot that bleeds and does n't heal in three weeks , see a physician or a dermatologist , '' Dr. Crutchfield recommended . `` That 's something everyone can do . '' Visit the American Academy of Dermatology Web site to find free screening locations in your state Another piece of simple advice : `` All racial groups need to use sunscreens , '' Taylor stresses . The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both deep-penetrating UVA rays and burn-causing UVB rays . Not all sunscreens protect against both . Visit the Environmental Working Group 's Skin Deep cosmetic safety database Tiffany Wilson is heeding that advice . She said she 's learned that when it comes to prevention , the worst thing you can possibly do is nothing . `` I use extreme caution in the sun and make certain that I use a sunscreen , even on a cloudy day , '' she said . `` You should n't underestimate the rays of the sun . ''