Babying Your Skin : News : WHOI Online

Wow! This article will make you think twice about that
tan you've been planning on getting before summer hits.

Skin cancer is no joke. A relation of my girlfriend just
passed away from cancer a few weeks ago at the ripe
old age of 42. 42! That's sad! And it ain't pretty either.

And his sister has melanoma too. All from childhoods
spent in the sun.

Please, please, PLEASE be careful when it comes to
protecting yourself from the sun and consider the
sunless tanning route if you feel you need to get a tan.
=========================




Babying Your Skin



By Jen Christensen
Posted: Monday, May
08, 2006 at 3:13 PM


Skin Cancer
According to the American Academy of Dermatology,
more than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed
each year in the U.S. About one in five Americans will
develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.
Risk is double among those who have had five or more
sunburns.

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell
carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin
cancer, accounting for about 80 percent of all cases.
The cancer forms in the cells at the bottom layer of
the epidermis (the outer layer of skin). They may
take the form of a persistent, non-healing sore (or
one that appears to heal and then re-opens), a reddish
patch, a raised pink growth, a shiny bump or waxy scar.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common
form of skin cancer. It accounts for about 16 percent of
all cases. It forms from the cells that make up the upper
layer of the epidermis. The cancer may appear as a
wart-like growth, a persistent patch or crusty or scaly
skin or an open sore that bleeds and doesn’t heal.
Squamous cell carcinomas tend to remain confined to
an area for a long time. However, they can eventually
penetrate to deeper tissues or spread to other areas
of the body.

Melanoma accounts for only about four percent of all
skin cancers. It forms in the melanocytes, the pigmenting
cells that give skin its color. In many cases, the cancer
develops in a new or pre-existing mole. Melanoma is
the most deadly form of skin cancer because it can
spread rapidly to the lymph nodes and other sites of the
body. Once the cancer spreads to distant areas, five-year
survival rates are only about 14 percent. The American
Cancer Society estimates 7,800 of the 10,600 deaths from
skin cancer are due to melanoma.

Reducing Risk of Skin Cancer
The time to start taking steps to prevent skin cancer is
during early childhood. Children spend a considerable
time outdoors. In fact, the National Coalition for Skin
Cancer Prevention in Health, Physical Education, Recreation
and Youth Sports estimates 50 percent of a person’s
lifetime exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light occurs
during childhood and adolescence. Young children have
very sensitive skin that is still developing and can get a
serious sunburn in just ten minutes.

New parents need to be aware that even infants need to
be protected from the sun. However, Mandeep Kaur,
M.D., a Dermatologist/Researcher at Wake Forest
University School of Medicine, says only about one
percent of pediatricians are taking the time to counsel
parents about sun safety. Physicians may be strapped
for time during well child visits because there is so much
information to pass on to parents.

Infants should be kept out of direct sunlight. When that’s
not possible, the baby should wear a long-sleeved shirt,
long pants and a hat. Apply a liberal amount of sunscreen
on all sun-exposed areas of skin (like the face and the
backs of the hands) at least 15 minutes before going
outside. Pediatrician, Ari Brown, M.D., says sunscreen
is an important barrier of protection and should used
even if a child will only be outside for a few minutes.
The sunscreen should be waterproof and be labeled
with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or higher. The
product should also protect against UV-A and UV-B rays.

All children (and adults) should avoid being in the sun
when the UV rays are the strongest – usually between
10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Reapply sunscreen every two hours -
sooner if coming out of the water or if sweating heavily.
Sunscreen should also be used on cloudy days because
the UV rays still penetrate the clouds, even though the
sun can’t be seen. Don’t assume you are protected from
the sun while in the shade. Water, sand and snow can
reflect the UV rays.

Health experts also caution against tanning beds. Many
teens believe tanning beds are a safe way to tan because
they avoid the sun. However, the devices still use UV light
to darken the skin. In fact, Kaur says tanning beds may
be worse for the skin than natural sunlight because they
provide continual direct contact with UV rays. He
recommends that people who want to have a “bronzed”
look stay away from tanning beds and the sun and use
sunless tanning products.

AUDIENCE INQUIRY
For information about sun protection or skin cancer:
American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/, or
contact your local chapter
------------------------
The Curt and Shonda Schilling Melanoma Foundation®,
http://www.shadefoundation.org/
------------------------
National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/
------------------------
National Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention in Health,
Physical Education, Recreation and Youth Sports,
http://www.sunsafety.org/
------------------------
Skin Cancer Foundation, http://www.skincancer.org/
------------------------
SkinCancerNet (American Academy of Dermatology),
http://www.skincarephysicians.com/






sunless tanning