For Your Skin

Young women are seeing a rise in skin cancer. According to a news release from the Society for Women’s Health Research, the CDC says, "The diagnosis of all types of skin cancer has increased and melanoma has become the most common cancer among young women aged 25-29." Yesterday I had a check-up and my doctor is referring me to dermatology for a slightly suspicious mole. Like most middle-aged women, I grew up in the 70's when we all tried to be tan like Farrah Fawcett. I switched to high UPF sunscreen by the time I became a fitness walker at age 24 and stopped attempting to tan. I get enough of a glow even with the sunscreen due to hours a week of outdoors walking.

The report says that using tanning beds may be the high risk factor among young women today. They carry the same skin-aging and skin cancer risk as natural sunlight.more...

Some people are under the mistaken assumption that the only time to use sunscreen is on especially hot and sunny days. The truth is that anytime that were out in the sun, the suns
rays are having a negative impact on our skin. There is a constant barrage of ultraviolet light that can cause our skin to age before its time, and it can lead to more serious skin problems in the long term. Even on days when its not all that hot outside, it is a good idea to use sunscreen.

With that said, sunscreen is still most needed when a person is spending a day out in the sun, especially if they're trying to tan. This is when there is the biggest risk of sunburn, which is a direct result of intense sun exposure. Its important to understand how to choose the right sunscreen for the job. SPF, or sun protection factor, is the rating system that is used to determine the strength of a sunscreen. Usually, a minimum sun protection factor of 15 is recommended for tanning or prolonged sun exposure. However, much more powerful levels of protection are available -- up to a 60 SPF rating or more.more...

While the sky isn’t falling in quite yet, there are major concerns about how the sunlight is affecting our skin and causing increasing numbers of serious and potentially fatal skin cancers. On the other hand, we also read about how we’re not getting enough sunlight and we’re becoming Vitamin D deficient.

Moderation is absolutely the key in most things. By taking in bits of sunshine to satisfy our vitamin D needs, we’re not usually exposing ourselves to enough sunlight to have to worry about melanoma (skin cancer). However, by believing in certain myths, we just may be increasing our risk.

To help you sort out what is what when it comes to sunshine and skin cancer, here is a video made by Dr. Neil Schultz, a practicing NYC dermatologist. Click on the TV screen below to watch Dr. Schultz as he debunks five common myths about skin cancer.more..

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. Energy from the sun actually is a form of radiation. It consists of visible light and other rays that people can't see. Invisible infrared radiation, for instance, makes sunlight feel hot. UV also is invisible, and causes sunburn and sun tan.

UV rays damage DNA, the genetic material that makes up genes. Genes control the growth and overall health of skin cells. If the genetic damage is severe, a normal skin cell may begin to grow in the uncontrolled, disorderly way of cancer cells. UV also can cause sunburn, and other damage that makes the skin look prematurely old and wrinkled.

Two kinds of rays exist in ultraviolet radiation:

• Ultraviolet A (UVA)
• Ultraviolet B (UVB)

Scientists once thought that excessive exposure to UVB rays was the main cause of skin cancer. Now they think that UVA also is involved. That's why it is important to use a sunscreen product that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

Some cases of skin cancer, however, may be hereditary and run in families. In those cases, skin cancer is caused by abnormal genes that children inherit from their parents. Genes make parents and children look somewhat alike. They also make them likely to get some of the same diseases.

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