UV Information

Statistics

• More than half of all new cancers are skin cancers.
• One person dies of melanoma every hour.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, There will be 59,950 new cases of melanoma in the U.S.
• Melanoma rates have tripled for men over the past 25 years.

*As many of you know, I lost my husband to melanoma. So as many “probables” as you may read here or anywhere else, know that there are definitely exceptions. For example, my husband had olive skin, not light skin. My husband’s family did not have cancer. He did not get the melanoma in the place most men get their’s. And my husband lived a lot longer than anyone thought possible.

Soleil Chic endeavors to educate and bring awareness to skin cancer prevention.

* * *

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in humans. It is estimated that over 1 million cases occur annually in the United States and that 1 out of 7 people will develop some form of cancer during his or her lifetime.

Types of Skin Cancer

There are three main types of skin cancer: the two most common are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers arise within the top layers of the skin and usually at sun-exposed areas of the body, including the face, neck, and arms, as a scaly area or bump. With a 90 percent cure rate, these skin cancers are easily treated, although treatment may result in some level of scarring.

The third and most dangerous form of skin cancer is malignant melanoma. Treatment is essential because melanoma can spread throughout the body. Although melanomas can occur anywhere on the body, women most often develop them on their legs while men develop them on their chest and head.

Sunscreen Defined

Sunscreens are chemical agents that help prevent the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) Radiation from reaching the skin. Two types of ultraviolet radiation damage the Skin.

UVB – Chief Culprit behind sunburn
UVA – These rays penetrate the skin more deeply, are associated with wrinkling, leathering, sagging, and other effects of aging. They also exacerbate the carcinogenic effects of UVB rays, and increasingly are being seen as a cause of skin cancer on their own. Sunscreens vary in their ability to protect against UVA and UVB.

Who Should Use Sunscreens?

Anyone over the age of six months should use a sunscreen daily.

More on Sunscreen

No sunscreen will stay effective for more than 2 hours without reapplication. Second, “reddening” of the skin is a reaction to UVB rays alone and tells you little about what UVA damage you may be getting. Plenty of damage can be done without the red flag of sunburn being raised.

How Can I Protect Myself?

• Limit exposure to reflective surfaces such as sand, snow, water and concrete.
  

• Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. Your eyes will be protected from retinal damage, cataracts, macular degeneration and eyelid cancer.
  
  
• When outside, wear UV clothing and/or protect yourself with a UV hat or UV Umbrella. The CDC recommendations include:
  "Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head."

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF factor of a minimum of 30.

• Don’t use tanning salons. They damage skin just the way real sunlight does.

• Stay out of the sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the UV rays are most intense.

Watch for more information.