Experts Breakdown Skin Protection, Skin Cancer Risks | Choose You Blog

An amazing, and inspiring, woman, Christine Green, shared her melanoma story, and that same week a friend said her early twenty-something niece was headed to a tanning bed to prepare for a vacation. Later that same day, I drove past a care bear (Funshine Bear, for the record) standing on the street corner advertising a tanning salon, offering a special for a package of ?bed tans.? A couple of days later, at a pool party, a friend eschewed sun screen, ?I?ll just catch some Vitamin D and perk up my winter skin.?

I?m thinking people aren?t taking this skin cancer risk very seriously. So I decided to ask the experts, help everyone become better informed about the real risks, real benefits, and real things to be concerned about.

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
• Melanoma, the third most common type of skin cancer, can be deadly. 75% of skin cancer deaths are from malignant melanoma, and 15% of malignant melanoma patients die.
• About 65%?90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Here?s a few more numbers:

• One in five people and among them one in three Caucasians in the course of their lifetime will develop some form of skin cancer.
• Over 250,000 cases of squamous cell skin cancer are being diagnosed every year, resulting in ca. 2,500 deaths yearly.
• Sun exposure causes more than ninety percent of all skin cancers
• If a person has suffered from sunburn five or more times then they stand a very strong chance of contracting skin cancer.
• The percentage of women under the age of forty with basal cell carcinoma has tripled in the last thirty years, while their rate of squamous cell cancer has increased four-fold.

So?okay. Skin cancer? Very, very real, very real risk.

Prevention and early detection matter greatly in keeping us healthy. The American Cancer Society has some great tips and explanations about how to be safe in the sun.

So do experts?the very same dermatologists who help detect and treat skin cancer:

According to Dr. Amy Derick:

The American Academy of Dermatology has issued a position statement that there is no safe threshold levels for UV exposure for maximum Vitamin D synthesis without increasing the risk of skin cancer. I recommend that my patients supplement their diets with Vitamin D pills. You can have adequate vitamin D levels and practice sun safety . The IOM suggested range (based on age): 400-800 IU/d.

Sunscreens should be broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB protection), with a SPF of at least 30. I like physical or mineral blocker sunscreens, such as those that contain zinc or titanium dioxide.

Melanoma typically presents as a new or changing brown to black spot on the skin. Non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) typically present as sores that won?t heal or a pink scaly patches that doesn?t go away.

The frequency of skin checks depends on your risk for skin cancer. Dermatologists diagnose skin cancer in earlier stages than non-dermatologists. Dermatologists are experts in skin cancer screenings, and therefore, are the provider of choice.

The treatment for skin cancer depends on the type of skin cancer and the stage. You can make a decision about the treatment of your skin cancer based on the personalized advice of your dermatologist.

Dr. Amy Derick, board-certified dermatologist practicing in Barrington, IL, is a frequently-quoted media resource for the American Academy of Dermatology and Women?s Dermatologic Society. She would be happy to answer any questions you have about skin protection, weighing benefits and risks, and understanding the Vitamin D issue.

Please visit: www.derickdermatology.com to learn more about Dr. Derick. On this site you can view her web-based educational videos, including ? Sun Protection All Over,? ?Say No to Melanoma? and ?Watch out For Suspicious Spots.?

According to Dr. James Compton:

Look for sunscreens that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Also, be aware that PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), found in many sunscreens, triggers allergies in some people, resulting in a contact dermatitis. Non-PABA sunscreen is just as effective. And, of course, use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 or greater year-round

Avoid midday sun. Enjoy the sun in the early morning or early evening. Be sure to choose a sunscreen with the help of a dermatologist; ensure that it is SPF 15 or higher. If you have particularly sensitive skin, or are particularly light complected, consider investing in clothing with SPF benefits and UV ray-blocking properties.

Also, it is important that people understand what the SPF numbers mean. 30 SPF means that if you are in the sun for 30 minutes, it is like being in the sun 1 minute without protection; 45 SPF means that if you are in the sun for 45 minutes, the effect on your body is as if you were in the sun unprotected for 1 minute, and so on and so forth.

Yes, the average person is Vitamin D deficient. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the recommended intakes of vitamin D by age group are 200 International Units per day (IU/d) for young adults, 400 IU/d for those aged 51 to 70 years, and 600 IU/d for those over age 70. There is evidence however that these recommended levels are too low for optimum health. I recommend 2000 units of vitamin D per day for my patients delivered via a vitamin D pill, because people are not outside as much as they used to be and there are several studies linking Vit D deficiencies to a myriad of health problems. And, vitamin D deficiency does vary by region. In regions where the peoples spend more time in the sun (like agri-communities), their Vit D deficiency is not as severe.

Dr. James S. Compton is a board-certified internist who founded South St. Louis Medical Associates in 2011. Prior to founding a practice based in premium patient care, he practiced at another St. Louis-based medical center for almost two decades. He currently teaches at St. Louis University, where he is a Full Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine.

Slip, slap, slop. There are so many great quality sunscreens out there, if you need to, look on it as anti-aging and moisturizing. Whatever it takes, as long as you protect!

Source: http://blog.chooseyou.com/2011/05/24/experts-breakdown-skin-protection-skin-cancer-risks/

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