Posts Tagged sunburn

The Use of Tanning Beds Raise Skin Cancer Risk

December 26, 2011 at 11:56 am · Filed under Melanoma Newz ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

We all know that too much of one thing could eventually be a bad thing. Smoke too much and get emphysema. Eat too much high fat and salty foods–and you are diagnosed with high cholesterol. Eat too many unhealthy foods and you will become over-weight. Stay out too long in the sun without the proper protection and you will get sunburned or worse skin cancer.  Buy one of those nifty tanning salon packages and you increase your risk of skin cancer.

Tanning beds are already linked to melanoma. The World Health Organization list tanning beds in its highest risk group of things that cause cancer, calling it a human carcinogen. They recommend children do not use them. All over the country the debate on the legal age a minor should be able to tan with and without parental permission has been big this past year.  According to the World Health Organization, 30 million people in the U.S. use tanning beds. A study published in the Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology finds that  the use of a tanning beds before the age of 30 increases the risk of skin cancer and early-onset basal cell carcinoma (bcc) by 75%.

The study was conducted at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut. Led by Susan T. Mayne, Senior author of the study and professor at the School of Public Health. She says in a statement  that; ”Indoor tanning was strikingly common in our study of young skin cancer patients, especially in the women, which may partially explain why 70 percent of early-onset BCCs are in females.”  It’s not surprising that the rate of skin cancer and BCC’s are more common in females. The majority of TV, print and media ads are geared toward making women believe that healthy beautiful skin is linked to having a tan.

Melanoma rates in general have been rising for the past 3 decades. Those who tanned vigorously in the 80′s are now reaping the benefits of skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 70,230 people will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. Melanoma accounts for only 5% of skin cancer cases, but causes the majority of death. The only way to reduce the incidence of skin cancer (bcc) and melanoma is to reduce indoor tanning. It’s a tricky subject since most people only learn from trial and error. It’s down right scary. I wonder all the time what can be done? How will those that choose to tan by the use of tanning salons or the sun learn that it is dangerous. Sure a healthy dose of sunlight is needed for the sake of Vitamin D production, but excess tanning and sun exposure will only lead to trouble…

How can the mindset that tanning creates beauty be eliminated?: 

  • Love the skin you’re in! Each and every one of us was created the way we were supposed to be. Trying to morph ourselves into what we aren’t disrupts our natural beauty.
  • Use sunless tanning lotions or spray tans. If you must have that year round “bronze glow” then use a fake-n-bake. Studies have shown that the use of sunless tanning lotions decreases your chance of developing skin cancer.
  • Research the dangers. There is a ton on information out there. Sometimes you can’t rely on what other people are telling you–Educate yourself and your family. Teach your children at an early age to be sun safe.
  • Cherish your life! We only get one.
  • Think about your loved ones. (Notice a trend?) Nothing should come down to life and death when you have a choice. Tanning is a choice.

 

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45656187/ns/health-cancer/#.TvizKtS0xLA

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Thank You!

September 20, 2011 at 4:54 am · Filed under Skinz Newz ·Tagged , , ,

Thank you all for sharing your stories and participating in our ‘Remembering Darren Day’. I know he would be so grateful to see so many adding one more level of awareness about sun protection to their lives. The UV Keychains will ship over the next 2-3 weeks for all those who sent in their form and envelope. Thank you again for all the UV Skinz support! ~Rhonda

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Back to School Sun Safety

September 6, 2011 at 8:58 pm · Filed under A Day in the Life of..., Prevention ·Tagged , , , , ,

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.

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Top 5 Reasons UV-Protective Clothing Rocks!

July 20, 2011 at 11:08 am · Filed under Prevention ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

  1. The light-weight fabric of a uv-protective shirt wicks moisture from your skin and dries quickly to keep you cool, even during peak sunshine hours of the day.
  2. You will save money on sunscreen and limit the amount of chemicals being absorbed into your skin from the use of sunscreen because you don’t need to wear sunscreen UNDER your uv-protective swim shirt or clothing. Just focus on the exposed extremities like your hands, feet, neck, and face.
  3. You can wash your uv-protective swim shirt repeatedly without losing the UPF that is woven into the fabric. A new uv-protective swim shirt has a beginning UPF of 50+. Towards the end of it’s life cycle (40 washes or more) there is still an end UPF of at least 50.
  4. UV-protective clothing is trendy, comes in awesome colors and designs, is versatile and can be used in water, on a hike or a day at the county fair!
  5. UV-protective clothing with a UPF 50+ protects against 98% of UVA and UVB rays all day, every day!

What’s the difference between UPF and SPF? (You can read more about why you should choose uv-protective clothing as your first line of sun defense at www.uvskinz.com)

SPF = for Sunscreen
UPF = for Clothing & Swimwear
UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor.

The chart below comes from the Australian/New Zealand Standard For Sun Protective Clothing and Swimwear:

(Note that a regular t-shirt has an UPF ranging from 7-10. Not enough to fully protect your skin from UVA or UVB rays for long periods of time)

UPF Ratings and Protection Categories

UPF Rating Protection Category % UV radiation Blocked
UPF 15 – 24 Good 93.3 – 95.9
UPF 25 – 39 Very Good 96.0 – 97.4
UPF 40 – 49 Excellent 97.5 or more
UPF50+ Considered the Ultimate in UV Sun Protection

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UV Skinz Teams Up With Suit Up Kids!

July 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm · Filed under Skinz Newz ·Tagged , , , ,

In May as a part of our ongoing mission to raise awareness about sun protection and to “get kids covered” UV Skinz donated hundreds of baby swim shirts to customers, hospitals and organizations across the US. In June, we  made a donation of 200 “What’s A Sunburn” baby swim shirts that benefited a Sun and Heat Safety Event held at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“The event featured safety displays and demonstrations by the hospital’s injury prevention center, arts & crafts, games and fun refreshments like sun cookies and snow cones.”

The donation was given via an Arizona based company, Suit Up Kids. Suit Up Kids is a kiosk located next the play fountain at the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona. During the summer Suit Up Kids is filled with all-things sun protection (including UV Skinz swim shirts) and kid-friendly products so your little tike can get the most out of their water play. Then in the winter months they are stocked full of Arizona funwear like cowboy and cowgirl outfits and accessories. With Arizona being second, only to Australia, with the highest rate of skin cancer worldwide it is so important to have community events such as this one. The more we come together to raise awareness and educate people the better our chances become at stopping this preventable disease. UV Skinz is always more than happy to be a sponsor too! Raising Arizona Kids magazine highlighted the event in their Summer Festivals and Sun Safety article, so feel free to read more about it!

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