| g break season is just around the corner this is | | | | I feel good when I’m out in the sun! Its |
| the time for us to get in the tanning bed and | | | | true tanning can make you feel good by |
| “bake ourselves beautiful”. Over 1 | | | | increasing the endorphins (feel good hormones) in |
| million people a day visit tanning beds despite the | | | | our bodies. If this is the case for you, find other |
| fact that skin cancer and melanoma rates are on | | | | ways to increase these hormones--exercise, |
| the rise. | | | | meditate, laugh and play. |
| No tanning is safe!!! Tanning beds emit both UVA | | | | How can I protect myself? Obviously, |
| and UVB rays; both are dangerous and lead to | | | | don’t tan or spend time in tanning beds. If |
| skin cancer. Also, they both increase the rate of | | | | you chose to spend time in the sun, be smart. |
| aging. Tanning leads to a break down in collagen | | | | Wear hats, use light cotton cover-ups, wear wide |
| and elastin, these are needed to keep our skin | | | | spectrum SPF 30 or greater and reapply, try not |
| plump, youthful and wrinkle free. Every time you | | | | to bask in the sun between the hours of 10am |
| tan you are doing cumulative damage to your skin | | | | and 4pm. Also, some studies demonstrate using |
| increasing the rate of skin aging and skin cancer. | | | | antioxidants such as vitamin C and Prevage |
| We need our vitamin D!!! It is true the sun does | | | | (ibededone) can protect the skin from free radical |
| help our body to produce vitamin D. A little sun | | | | damage caused by sun exposure. |
| goes a long way…really just 5-10 minutes | | | | I have sun damage…what do I do? First |
| in the sun (not a tanning bed), just once a week | | | | make sure your sun damage is not cancer. Visit |
| gives us all the vitamin D we need. We can also | | | | your family doctor, skin care specialist, or |
| get adequate levels of the vitamin by eating a | | | | dermatologist and have them inspect your skin. |
| well rounded diet rich in fish, milk and eggs. | | | | Usually cancer needs to be surgically removed or |
| What are the alternatives? There really are no | | | | “frozen”. If you have sun damage |
| alternatives to tanning. Using sunless self-tanning | | | | or precancer there are other options such as: |
| products and using bronzing make-up are certainly | | | | PDT/ALA, 5-FU, Alpha Hydroxy Acids and |
| safe and can give you that | | | | retinoids. Of course, prevent further damage by |
| “sunkissed” look.. | | | | using sunscreens and antioxidants. |