This article provides an overview of the most prevalent types of skin cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, and shows primary care practitioners how to pick up early presentations of the disease. It covers epidemiology, clinical presentation, management and patient education as well as predisposing factors, disease associations and treatment options. It gives advice on using referral pathways for non-melanoma and melanoma cancers and outlines national treatment guidelines. It also stresses that healthcare professionals should keep a perspective on the dangers of sun exposure to avoid increasing unnecessary fear and anxiety.