Another great client, a medical storage company, smart enough to know that a company blog shouldn't be entirely about self-promotion. I write about all manner of subjects within the medical field.
As summer approaches and we emerge from our winter cocoons it can be a bit jarring to see how pale and sallow our skin might be. It’s tempting to head to the tanning salon to add a bit of color so we don’t blind our fellow man (or woman) when we first put on the shorts.
Researchers examined records from a decades-long database of all patient care in Olmsted County, Minn., and looked for first-time diagnoses of melanoma in patients 18-39 from 1970 to 2009. Melanoma cases increased eightfold among women in that time and fourfold for men, the authors say. And yet, for as much as we know about the dangers of sun exposure we continue to associate beauty with a radiant summer tan.
Sun worshipping can be dangerous.
This is especially true for young women under 30. They have been taught by movies, television and other media that looking good includes darkening the skin. Lately it’s been called “The Jersey Shore Effect” as bevies of young people romp under the sun having all sorts of adventures. And they live at the tanning salon. Seventy-one percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women aged 16-29. Between 1980 and 2004, the annual incidence of melanoma among young women increased by 50 percent, from 9.4 cases to 13.9 cases per 100,000 women. Fortunately death rates fell during the same period because of early detection and intervention.
People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. Luckily, both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are easily treated with local therapies including cryotherapy (freezing) or surgery. Melanomas are a different story. More than three-fourths of skin cancer deaths come from this very serious type of cancer. If a melanoma invades more than a quarter-inch into the skin, there is a good chance it has spread to other areas of the body.
It’s tempting to let the sun shine on us, the warmth feels good, it signals summer fun and friends and for some of us it takes us back to the days when we lathered on the baby oil until we could repel a tidal wave. And let’s be honest, we still think we look good with a tan. It covers imperfections and makes a nice contrast with colorful summer attire. Fortunately sunless tanning products aren’t the nightmare they used to be. The orange skin, bad smell and obvious application lines are gone and even some of the tanning salons are switching to spray tans as an alternative to the egregious effects of the fake bake.
And when it comes to heading outdoors be sensible. Use sunscreen, wear protective clothing and check moles for ABCDEs: asymmetry, a blurred or irregular border, colors that are varied within the same mole, a diameter of more than a pencil eraser and both elevation and evolution, meaning signs that the mole is raised or changing shape.
New sunscreen regulations go into effect this summer. The FDA has cracked down on manufacturers claims of waterproof or sweatproof and made other recommendations. So read labels, throw out sunscreen that’s over a year old and pay particular attention to the amount that you use. In order for it to be effective you’ll need more than most people apply. A shot glass full for the body and a teaspoon for the face is the general recommendation, so don’t be shy, protect your health and squeeze that bottle.
Many local medical centers offer a free skin cancer screening yearly on May 21. Check your local hospitals for information in your area.
MASS Medical Supply wishes you a happy summer with healthy choices, good friends and family celebrations and endless sunny days.
