Tag Archives: american academy of dermatology

02.28.12
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Darker Skin Doesn’t Grant Immunity to Skin Cancer

With Black History Month coming to an end I can say that it has been a busy month! While children have been learning about Martin Luther King, Jr and equality, adults mostly still go about the month as usual–giving no second thought to the perceived importance of the month. The overall importance is awareness. Anyone disagree? It’s awareness of our history as Americans and for African-Americans, awareness about heritage and health. Awareness about the dangers of skin cancer and melanoma are above all the most important  because skin cancer rates have been on the rise among minority groups in the U.S.

Many people with darker skin tones believe that the pigmentation in their skin protects them from skin cancer. This is not true at all. I (being African-American) used to think that I didn’t need sunscreen, because my skin didn’t “burn”–it just got darker. Now I know that to be false. The pigmentation cells do provide a natural SPF of 13 and even so, everyone should protect their skin with at least an SPF 15 broad spectrum sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests an SPF 30 if you will be out in the sun for longer periods. According to Dermatologist, Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield, III, “Pigmentation doesn’t give you a free pass.”

Without a “free pass” people with darker skin should take the same precautions as their lighter skinned counterparts. There is a misconception about the dangers of skin cancer for people of color and they are often diagnosed at later stages, which can be deadly. Another factor in the late diagnosis is that the skin cancer usually develops in unusual locations such as nasal passages, palms, soles of the feet, toenails, fingernails and mucous membranes around the mouth and genitals. These forms of skin cancer are called acral lentiginous melanoma–the type of melanoma that took the life of reggae performer, Bob Marley. These types of skin cancers also don’t always follow the rules of ABCDE.

So, what should you look for?

  • Changes that may include brown or black colored stripes under the nail.
  • A spot that extends beyond the edge of the nail.
  • A mole or unusual spot on the palms of hands and feet that bleeds.
Most sun safety precautions are targeted towards lighter-skinned, blue-eyed people with freckles. Remember that skin color doesn’t matter. Everyone can get skin cancer. Here are some precautions that everyone can take into consideration the next time you step outside.
Simple Sun Safety Advice: 
  • Wear sunscreen! Use a broadspectrum sunscreen of at least an SPF 30 that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
  • Develop an awareness of the moles on your body and be alert for new or changing moles!
  • Avoid the direct sunlight when the rays are the strongest between 10am-4pm.
  • If you must be outdoors during those times–seek shade!
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
  • Wear sun protective clothing like UV Skinz uv-protective wear!

“It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, everyone can get skin cancer.” ~Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield, III

Source:

http://www.skincancerinfoline.com/skin-cancer-african-americans.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/29/race.skin.cancer/index.html

09.30.11
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School Receives Grant For Shade Canopy

Palm Beach Gardens Elementary School students returned to school to discover a 12-by-12-foot blue canopy covering one of their play structures. With Palm Beach Gardens being on of the first schools in the district to develop a sun-safety policy as part of a partnerships with the Melanoma Foundation it took grants and fundraising to erect the canopy. They utilized the help of board member John P. Kinney, dermatologist, and help from the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation. The canopy cost $16,000 that was partially paid for by $8,000 grant from the American Academy of Dermatology. The grant and fundraising efforts took several years, but now through the dedication of all involved the children can enjoy their playtime without worry of over-exposure to the sun.

 

Does your school need a canopy? My daughter’s school sure does! Contact the American Academy of Dermatology to get more information. If anyone else has a similar story–please share!

09.06.11
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Back to School Sun Safety

Summer is winding down and kids all over the country are gearing up to begin a new school year. Parents may be tempted to think that once summer vacation has ended, there isn’t as much of a need to worry about sun safety and using sun protection. However, just because summer is almost over, that doesn’t mean the sun is going on vacation! It is just as important to protect our kids from sun damage during the school year as it is during the dog days of summer.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, about 23 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs by age 18 and one or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life. During childhood it is up to parents to protect kids from skin damage caused by sun exposure. During the school year, it is also up to the schools and teachers to help reduce exposure but unfortunately, most schools do not have a sun safety policy and many schools ban the use of sunscreen as part of their policies against kids using medications or over the counter drugs at school. So what can parents do to ensure their children are protected while at school? There are actually several ways parents can promote sun safety at school.

  • Talk with the school principal to find out whether sunscreen is allowed at school and if it is not, ask what can be done to allow it. If is a school policy, it may only take parents requesting that their children be allowed to use sunscreen to get the policy changed. If is a school district policy, it may be necessary to approach the school board.
  • Apply sunscreen to your child’s exposed skin before school starts each day and have the child reapply before going outside for recess (if the school permits).
  • If the school bans sunscreen, you can dress your child in tightly woven, dark or bright colored fabrics that cover the arms and legs.
  • If your school allows, have your child wear a hat while outside. A hat with a wide brim is the best protection but even a baseball cap can help.
  • Purchase clothing that has sun protection built into the fabric.
  • For clothing that does not have sun protection built in, you can make it “sun safe” by washing the clothes with SunGuard, a laundry aid that gives your clothes an Ultra-Violet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of UPF 30. The product lasts for up to 20 washings.
  • Have your child wear sunglasses while outside to protect their eyes.
  • Ask the school to provide shaded areas on the playground.
  • If your child participates in outdoor sports, plan for sun protection during practices and games.

Following these tips will help ensure sun safety success throughout the school year and all year long.

Tamara Walker, R.N., aka “MomRN”, is the mom of two teenagers, a registered nurse, a child safety expert and instructor, and host of the “Ask MomRN Show”. Her websites are http://www.MomRN.com and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlyLady.

05.24.11
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What Are The Odds of Sunburning In Your Car?

One Saturday morning I planned to take my daughters on a hiking trip. Not a big one, but a nice leisurely adventure to Matthew Winters Park off the Morrison, CO exit. I slipped my girls into their UV Skinz, lathered on the sunscreen, packed a picnic and loaded them into the car. The day was turning out to be an awesome sun-shiny day! Once we hit the highway we could all feel the sun beating down on us through the windshields. With no other protection from the rays I was so glad Journey and Faith had their UV Skinz on. The car ride was about thirty minutes and once we reached the hiking grounds we were so glad to be out of the car! We enjoyed playing (in the shade) by the creek and took a fifteen minute walk up the trail and back.

A few weeks before our trip an article was passed along to me that discussed whether or not you could be sunburned through your car windows. I’m African-American and I’m sure I wouldn’t actually “burn”, but after feeling the heat of the sun through the car window for almost an hour the nice warm feeling started to become bothersome. I was more worried about my daughters who are fairer-skinned than me.

I found out that most car manufacturers install laminated windshields that filter out uv light. They mostly filter UVB light, but not the skin-damaging skin cancer causing UVA rays. UVA rays can damage your skin without your knowing for a long time after the initial exposure. Specialist advise you to wear sunscreen if you are driving in most of the Northern states for more than twenty minutes and even less for Southern states. Living in Colorado I think that puts us somewhere in the middle. Luckily, we had applied sunscreen mostly for the purpose of the hike and the girls were wearing uv-protective swim shirts which put my mind at ease.

A worry-free hike!

So, there is still the question of what exactly are the dangers of sun exposure through a car window? A group of 1,000 participants were studied to find out more about what kind of sun damage could occur while driving. It can be found in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology It concluded that people who spent the most time driving a car each week were “more likely to develop skin cancers on the left-side of their bodies and faces.” Another study collected by the National Cancer Institute in the same journal found the same “predilection for left-sided cancers”, but saw a stronger link in men suggesting that women took more precautions (like wearing sunscreen) and had “more distributed sun exposure from possibly spending more time in the passenger seat.” Even though it’s a good idea to lather on the sunscreen before getting into the car–sunburns are not likely, but deep-penetrating UVA sun damage is a high possibility.

Here are some tips to keep you and your family sun-safe while in the car (and outdoors):

  • Apply and re-apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside or driving more than 20 minutes in the car.
  • Avoid peak-hours of the day, between 10am-4pm
  • Wear uv-protective sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats and uv-protective clothing.

UV Skinz long-sleeved swim shirts are a great solution to long summer road trips. They can be easily slipped on and off, will give you all-day sun protection and can even double as an outfit!

 

05.02.11
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Melanoma Monday

“Melanoma Monday” is the first Monday in May and the start of many national and local free skin cancer screenings, events, walk/runs and activities geared toward skin cancer prevention and sun-safety. Follow this link to find a dermatologist near you!

National Skin Cancer Awareness Month is about overall uv-protection. Take a look at some indoor tanning tips that were provided by the official Melanoma Monday website. Feel free to Facebook, Tweet, and share using email or Stumble Upon (buttons at the bottom of this post)!

  1. Indoor tanning is considered a carcinogenby The World Health Organization,  International Agency for Research on Cancer, The American Medical Association, American Academy of Dermatology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics
  2. The risk of melanoma is increased by 75% when exposure to tanning beds occurs before the age of 30 (Lancet 2009)
  3. In the  Skin Health Population Study, researchers found that those using tanning beds often were 2.5-3x more likely to develop melanoma thana person who never tanned indoors
  4. The Australian Melanoma Family Study identified 76% of the melanoma in patients between the ages of 18-39 to be attributed to tanning bed use

 Melanoma Monday is also the day for self-examination. Not sure how to do a self-check? Just follow these guidelines provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation. Most people have moles, but if you ever see a change in the color or shape–that is when you should see your physician. There is a simply way to look for signs of skin cancer, it’s called the ABCD Rule:

A. Asymmetry-One half of the spot does not match the other half.

B. Border irregularity-Normal moles are round or oval.  The borders of a melanoma may be uneven or notched.

C. Color-Common moles are usually one color throughout.  Melanomas may have several colors or an irregular pattern of colors.

D. Diameter-Common moles are generally less than 1/4 inch in diameter (the diameter of a pencil eraser).  Melanomas may be 1/8 to 1/4 inch, but are often larger.