Pale Girl » The Facts

Redheads and Melanoma

kl — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:01:35 +0000

I’m not going to go into the science behind the recent study published in Nature (I leave that to the doctors and researchers), but here’s the take-away: If you’re a redhead, you have an increased risk for melanoma even without UV exposure. It’s that simple.

So what does this mean for all us ruddy, carrot tops running around with oversized hats and parasols? It means that if you’re a redhead, sun protection alone isn’t enough to avoid melanoma. It also means that parents with redheaded children need to start their kids early with dermatology check-ups and make it an annual routine.

Avoiding over exposure to UV rays – both indoor and out – is still crucial, but it’s not the whole picture. This study proves, more than ever, the importance of yearly or bi-yearly full body skin checks. A thorough skin check can catch anything brewing and you can get it removed while it’s still curable. Early detection has saved my life three times over. I protect myself with sunscreen and sun protective clothing, but it’s my vigilance with check-ups that has kept me healthy. Yes, a dermatologist may become your best friend. …It’s a hell of a lot better than an oncologist. Trust me.

Baby Blues

kl — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:24:32 +0000

A wonderfully informative article by my friend and Santa Barbara optometrist Tiffany Corby, OD.

“Sun protection is just as important for our eyes as our skin. We have very thin skin around our eyes that can be easily damaged by ultraviolet and infrared light. The tissues on and inside our eyes are also prone to damage by prolonged sun exposure (most free radical damage is thought to accumulate during the first 18 years of life). A hat and sunglasses can go a long way toward preventing sun damage to the skin around the eyes and also to the eyes themselves. Now, for a little physiology…The specialized layer covering the whites of our eyes is called the conjunctiva. It is prone to cumulative damage from UV and IR, which can cause pingueculas and pterygium. These conditions are preventable damage to the conjunctiva from sun, wind, and dust that cause dryness, chaffing, and yellow callouses to form over the white parts of our eyes. The cornea, the clear windshield of the eye, is susceptible to a severely painful consequence of extreme sun exposure called UV Keratitis or Snow Blindness. The crystalline lens behind our iris grows like an onion, adding layers each year, and like our skin most of the free radical damage from the sun can accumulate early in life and can lead to progressive cataract development later in life. In the back of the eye the retina contains light sensing structures with the macula at its center. Free radical damage to the macula from ultraviolet can increase the progression of Macular Degeneration which leads to central blind spots and uncorrectable visual distortions. Unfortunately sun exposure can also lead to several types of eye and eyelid cancers. Annual eye examinations are crucial in the early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Because sun exposure can have multiple significant consequences to vision, health, and life it is recommended that all babies, children, adolescents, adults and elderly wear UV protecting sunglasses that block the harmful sun rays from damaging effects on the visual system.”

Tiffany’s top picks…

*It is also important to make sure that the sunglasses you wear are 100% UVA and UVB protective. Polarized lenses are helpful to prevent distracting and unwanted glare.

Teen Acne + Sun

kl — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:48:51 +0000

Teenagers and the sun…at times it feels like a lost cause trying to get through to them about the risks! I get it. No teenager is happy with themselves – few are confident enough to embrace their natural skin tone or self-possessed enough to wear a sun-shirt when their friends are baking in a string bikini. It’s a tricky business, talking to “invincible” kids. But thinking back to my teenage years and now chatting with my friends’ teenagers, I’ve come to believe that one of the roots of the teen-tanning obsession is not about being “tan”, but rather about having good, clear skin. Most young people mistakenly believe that tanning gets rid of and/or heals acne. Ironically, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Over-exposure to UV radiation (either at the beach or at a tanning salon) dries out skin, which causes sebaceous glands to produce more oil, and more oil means more breakouts. So, as your teen lounges in the backyard, face ski-high hoping to “dry-up” those little buggers, they are actually making matters worse. Wrinkles and skin cancer might not scare teenagers, but the threat of a big ol’ zit in the middle of their forehead usually will. If you’ve talked till you’re blue in the face, pleaded and begged for them to wear sunscreen, try the “pimple talk”. It is our responsibility to educate our kids, to figure out ways into their twisted thought processes and beat them at their own game.

Change will not happen over-night, but if we are to succeed, we must be consistent in our message and set an example. We have to be experts, at least in their eyes, unwavering towers of safety, practicality and wisdom. They will pretend to hate us for it, but deep, deep down they will feel secure knowing we care enough to ride their backsides and make a stink. I’m not claiming that the “pimple talk” will suddenly and miraculously change your teenagers point-of-view about tanning, but at the very least it will set them straight about the facts and present them with yet another reason to be sun safe. Here are a few other tips…

While sun exposure, or a sunburn, doesn’t heal pimples, it does temporary hide them: Buy your teen a gel based self-tanner/sunscreen combo or a bronzer. Check-out Environmental Working Group’s list and ratings of sunless tanning products for ideas.

Many products made for teen acne contain benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is not only incredibly drying, it makes skin extra sensitive to the sun. For my own combination skin, I’ve started using clay-based cleansers and I’m in love. They are pricey, but they’ve really worked for me. Suki Transformative Purifying Mask and Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Mask are face cleanser/mask combos. They have literally changed my skin!

FDA on SPF

kl — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:59:37 +0000

Well, it’s only taken the FDA thirty-three short years to require more clarification on sunscreen labels. So, are these new rulings gonna’ actually help you? Yes and no. Here are the most relevant rulings which will be implemented by summer 2012…

Sunscreens must pass the FDA’s broad spectrum test, which looks at a sunscreen’s UVA* protection relative to it’s UVB**, in order for it to be labeled as a “Broad Spectrum” sunscreen.
Only sunscreens with SPF’s of 15+ will be able to claim a reduced risk for skin cancer and early skin aging.
Broad spectrum sunscreens with SPF’s of 2-14 can only state protection against sunburn.
Sunscreen manufacturers can no longer use the terms “waterproof”, “sweat-proof” or “sunblock” since they overstate effectiveness.
“Water-resist” sunscreens must specifically label effective for 40 or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating.
Sunscreens cannot claim to provide protection for longer than 2 hours without reapplication or claim “immediate protection” without submitting data to support the claims and getting FDA approval.

While most of these new rules will be helpful in clarifying confusing labels, I worry that the ‘Broad Spectrum” seal of approval will give many people a false sense of security. For people like me, people most sensitive to the sun and buying the most sunscreen (hopefully), UVA protection is key. Despite the importance of explicit UVA labeling, these new rules still don’t provide a specific UVA rating system. In 2007, a one to four star rating system was proposed, but apparently due to feedback that the star system would be too confusing, they threw-out the idea and went with the UVA/UVB radiation proportional. The way I understand it, using the new UV rating system, a higher SPF (which has to do with UVB protection) means higher protection against UVA. -I’m sorry that the “star” rating system seemed overwhelming to some, but COME ON! If you can’t understand that four stars are better than one then…

* UVA=aging and cancer causing rays

**UVB=burning rays

Bob Marley & Melanoma

kl — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:20:10 +0000

Many people don’t know it, but legendary musician Bob Marley died, at age 36, of malignant melanoma. His primary tumor was on his toe and discovered after a soccer injury. While African Americans and Hispanics are less likely to develop melanoma, their mortality rates are much higher. The two main reasons for the lowered survival rate: misdiagnosis and late detection. Like in the case of Bob Marley, melanomas on dark skin often occur on feet, palms and nails.

And because of the location of these moles, they are commonly misdiagnosed as plantar warts or talon noir (dark nail). Having dark skin is like walking around everyday wearing an SPF of 7, which isn’t enough to completely protect you from UV rays.

It’s important for everyone to be aware of any changes in moles or dark spots and see a dermatologist once a year for a full body check. If you have dark skin, pay particular attention to the above mentioned areas.

Money & Melanoma

kl — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:50:55 +0000

I’m sure you’ve heard that money can’t buy happiness, but according to a recent study, it can buy you melanoma. If you’re a young, white, upper-middle class female you’re six times more likely to get skin cancer than young, white women in lower-income populations. We’ve known for years that lighter-skinned people are more likely to develop melanoma (darker skin isn’t immune, though), but why does socioeconomic status play a part? Well, according to this study, and the findings that economic status played a larger role than ambient UV exposure in increased melanoma rates, researchers are pointing to behavioral causes rather than environmental. People with more money potentially have more time for vacationing and more money to spend on tanning salons. When I look at this study, it seems clear that money=more indoor tanning=higher rates of melanoma. So, what can we take from all this? How can we protect ourselves and our kids? It’s not rocket science it’s common sense – stop using tanning beds! I can’t say it enough. Use your money to buy some good ol’ broad spectrum sunscreen and a self-tanner or bronzer and call it a day!

Addicted

kl — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:11:57 +0000

ADDICTED If ever there was an argument for never trying tanning beds (I mean, besides the fact that they can give you cancer) it’s that new research shows they are actually addicting! A recent pilot study found that during indoor tanning sessions, people have similar brain activity to people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Indoor tanning creates that reward-and-reinforcement trigger, much like gambling. This study might partially explain why many teens and young adults continue to tan even though they know the risks. Our brains actually respond to UV light…and I thought I just missed looking tan! I’m sure more studies on this topic are still to come, but what this tells us is that tanning, like smoking, is a tough habit to break. It is our responsibility to educate our kids and keep them away from tanning salons. We need to think about tanning like we think about “trying” cigarettes.

Killer Tanning Beds

kl — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:46:29 +0000

KILLER TANNING BEDS When I was in high school, going to a tanning salon before a school dance was a given. I can still remember that sickly sweet smell of coconut mixed with sweat- I think all tanning salons must smell the same. Looking back, I’m embarrassed at how naive I was to believe some oiled-up proprietor boasting of the “benefits” of indoor tanning. I mean, the beds look like coffins for goodness sakes! And the lamps are blinding…!

With all the current research and information out there about the dangers of tanning beds, it’s shocking that almost 36% of young women and 12% of men are still tanning! These young people either don’t know about the risks or just plain don’t care. Young people feel immortal, I get it, but this is why tanning beds need to be banned for minors. If kids under 18 can’t make the right choice on their own, we need to help them along with a ban. Here are some disturbing statistics…

Indoor tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than non-tanners.
UVA radiation from tanning beds is 10-13 times more concentrated than that of the sun.
Tanning beds are associated with an increased risk of early on-set melanoma.
Tanning beds emit mostly UVA radiation which plays no part in our bodies ability to produce vitamin D (only UVB radiation helps with vitamin D production).
Chronic UVA exposure accelerates the aging of our skin by as much as 7 years.
Tanning beds are addicting, literally!*

*For more on tanning bed addiction check out my post entitled Addicted.

A post in the The Facts channel

Hillary — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 02:35:05 +0000

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