Tanning Basics

What is tanning?
Tanning is the skin's reaction to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When skin is exposed to UV rays, cells called melanocytes produce the brown pigment melanin, which darkens the cells of the epidermis. This darkening of the skin cells is the skin's natural – if imperfect – defense against further damage from UV radiation.
Is tanning bad for you?
The sun's UV rays damage the DNA of the skin's epidermal cells, triggering enzymes that race to repair the damage. However, these enzymes do not always repair the DNA successfully, and all this unrepaired damage can lead to mutations that increase the risk of skin cancer. Also, repeated unprotected sun exposure can cause photoaging – wrinkles, sagging skin, and spots associated with sun damage.
Does all UV radiation harm my skin?
Scientists divide the solar UV spectrum into three wavelengths - UVA, UVB and UVC. Once, UVA and UVC were thought harmless, and only UVB was believed dangerous. UVC is still deemed no threat, since it is absorbed by the ozone layer. But UVA accounts for up to 95 percent of solar UVR reaching Earth. Though far less capable of causing sunburn than UVB, UVA is present during all daylight hours year round, while the amount of UVB in sunlight varies by season, location and time of day.
By the 1990's, scientists knew that UVA exacerbates the cancer-causing effects of UVB, and is the main wavelength behind photoaging. Recently, an Australian-U.S. study found that UVA may be more carcinogenic than UVB. It penetrates more deeply and causes more genetic damage in the skin cells (keratinocytes) where most skin cancers arise. The National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization now designate both UVA and UVB as causes of cancer.
Doesn't the melanin acquired through tanning actually protect my skin?
Darker skin does offer greater protection than light skin against sunburn and skin cancer. However, that applies only to people with naturally darker skin. Tanning, like sunburns, attacks the skin's DNA, producing genetic defects that may cause skin cancer.

Tackling men's excuses for not wearing sunscreen!

Men don't like to wear sunscreen . They complain that it feels weird, or makes them smell like a girl or a pina colada. But with skin cancer reaching epidemic proportions in men, it's time to tackle those complaints head on:
Complaint: "They smell flowery and feminine."
Answer: Look for unscented formulations. They are just as effective without the scent.
Complaint: "The oily base makes my skin feel greasy."
Answer: Water or alcohol-based lotions, creams, gels and sprays actually outnumber oil-based products. Try different types and brands to find out what feels right for you.
Complaint: "They make my hands slippery, which ruins my tennis game."
Answer: Try a sport sunscreen. They're designed to absorb quickly, without leaving a greasy or sticky residue.
Complaint: "When I sweat, the stuff runs into my eyes and stings."
Answer: Use a stick sunscreen on your forehead and around your eyes. It's easy to apply and stays put even when you sweat or swim. Never put sunscreen directly on the eye area. Protect the skin around your eyes with sunglasses instead.
source- Skin Cancer Foundation

Tips for Men

These tips are great for men who want to protect themselves form skin cancer, for example the one from Florida who comented on one of my previous posts.

Buy a hat. Not a baseball cap, but a hat with a brim, such as a cowboy, a bucket, or an outback. Wear it when you're outdoors for extended periods. Especially if you're balding or thinning on top.
Find a lip balm with an SPF of 15 and use it regularly.
Stop smoking.
Keep a bottle of sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher in the glove compartment of your car. It will cut down on your trucker's tan — as will keeping your arm from dangling outside the window as you drive.
Ask your barber if he sees any moles or bumps on your scalp next time you go in for a trim. If he or she does, go to a dermatologist and have them checked out.

Source- The Skin Cancer Foundation

Five Sun Smart Tips for Men

Buy two pairs of sunglasses from a respected manufacturer that block both UVA and UVB rays. Keep the extra pair in your car.
Promise yourself that you will spend an extra five minutes shaving. Take the extra time either to apply pre-shave oil to soften your beard, or to wrap a warm, damp towel over your face.
Install window films on your car's side and back windows. They'll protect you and your passengers (and your upholstery) from UV rays, cut down on glare, and some types even reject heat.
Buy a new razor. Make sure it's a good razor. And change the blade often.
After shaving, apply an after-shave balm with an SPF of at least 15. If you can't find one you like, buy a separate sunscreen and apply it before the moisturizer. Don't forget your ears and all around your neck.

Is there something wrong with self tanners?

The popularity of self-tanning products is surging, showing that Americans are becoming aware of the dangers of tanning. They're putting their money where their skin is.
Self-tanning products, or sunless tanning lotions, work by temporarily dying the top layer of the skin. The color slowly fades as the skin cells slough off, and usually disappear within a week unless the lotion has been reapplied.
That's a lot more healthful than a suntan, however, because while suntans also start fading after a few days, the harm done to the skin is permanent. Getting a suntan breaks down the DNA in skin cells, but using self-tanners causes no such damage. At worst, sunless tanning products present a minimal risk of irritant or allergic reactions.
Recent improvements in these sunless products have made the demand skyrocket. "They're easier to use than ever, the color appears more natural, and some lotions even contain sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF)," says Stanley B. Levy, MD, adjunct clinical professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill.
But just because your skin is darker doesn't mean you're protected from UV rays. DHA in self-tanning lotions — the ingredient that darkens the skin — does offer some protection, equivalent to an SPF of about 2 to 4. That's barely any protection at all. When shopping for a self-tanner, make sure to look for one that has an SPF of at least 15. "And remember, even if the lotion contains such a sunscreen, the protection lasts only a couple of hours, not for the duration of the color change," notes Dr. Levy. "After two hours in the sun at most, you should put on more sunscreen."
Sunless tanning lotions come in light, medium, and dark tones. People with dry skin can buy brands with emollients or humectants added for softness and moisture, while people with oily skin may find that gel or alcohol-based products work better. And recently, ingredients such as vitamins, herbal extracts, antioxidants, and alpha-hydroxy acids are being added to some products in an effort to expand their benefits.
A last caution from The Skin Cancer Foundation: Don't be misled when products sound like self-tanning lotions — "Tanning amplifiers," "tan accelerators," "tanning promoters," "tanning enhancers," and worst of all, "tanning pills." Many of the products interact with the sun to create the tan, so they actually end up accentuating the damage done to the skin. The pills — which are commercially banned in the U.S. — are the worst. They contain the carotenoid chemical canthaxanthin (the same pigment found in carrots), and have been associated with hepatitis and urticaria, a condition that involves relentless itching and skin eruptions.
"Read the ingredients on the label of all these products carefully," says Dr. Levy. "Unless their active ingredient is DHA, they're not bona fide sunless tanners, and they could very well be harmful for your skin."

Be a sun smart woman!

Sun Protection and Makeup

Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the most important things you can do to keep your skin looking younger, longer. But it doesn't mean you have to slop heavy, sticky sunscreen on your face every morning. You can get excellent day-to-day sun protection from your cosmetics.
Photoaging is caused by lifetime sun exposure — and that's not just the few days you spend at the beach every summer. Walking your dog, driving to work, and sitting in front of a sunny window are all examples of the type of sun exposure that you might not think of protecting yourself against — but over the years they can add up to wrinkling, leathering and other signs of aging, as well as skin cancer.
For this everyday exposure, cosmetics with the proper ingredients, applied the right way, can protect your skin.
First, select a sunscreen-containing moisturizer. Look for a product labeled "broad-spectrum" that has an SPF rating that is 15 or higher. The package, should include a list of active ingredients. Look for zinc oxide, avobenzone (Parsol 1789) or ecamsule (Mexoryl) combined with octocrylene and avobenzone. These are the most cosmetically elegant, long-lasting broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredients found in moisturizers.
After cleansing your face in the morning, apply the moisturizer to your face, and also to your ears, neck, and upper chest. The latter are often-overlooked areas in terms of sun protection, but are equally susceptible to photoaging.
The delicate skin around your eyes needs protection as well, but most moisturizers are not recommended for use in the eye area. Eye creams that contain an SPF are available from some manufacturers, and should be applied during the moisturizing step of your morning routine.
Your second line of skin defense can be found in your foundation. When choosing a foundation, look for one with an SPF rating between 8 and 15. While this may seem like overkill, the truth is that most people do not get the most out of their sunscreen because either they do not apply enough of it, or they apply it unevenly. Two applications of cosmetics that contain a sunscreen will increase your chances of getting good protection.
Top off your foundation with powder. Your powder should be of the compressed variety, and applied with a sponge. The benefits of powder are twofold: The tiny pigmented talc particles it contains provide a certain amount of protection on their own, and applying a layer of powder will help both your sunscreen and your moisturizer stay put through the day. Once the sunscreen is off your skin — washed away by perspiration or your own skin oils, or simply wearing off — it won't protect you any longer.
Complete your routine with your usual makeup, and don't forget the lips. Lips have almost no melanin (the color is derived from tiny blood vessels beneath the skin) and so it's up to you to protect them. If you don't regularly wear lipstick, get in the habit of using a colorless lip balm with an SPF of 15 or higher. If lipstick is part of your makeup regimen, avoid the super-shiny, high-gloss lipsticks with little pigmentation. These act like baby oil for the lips, directing damaging UV rays right to the area you're trying to protect. An opaque lipstick will provide better protection. Try to find one you like with an SPF rating of 15 or higher. If you're wedded to the wet look, apply the colored lipstick first, then top with a gloss for shine.
It's important to keep in mind that cosmetics should not be used as the sunscreen component of your comprehensive sun protection regimen when you are going to be out in the sun for a long time. For those times, you'll need a heavier, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of fifteen or higher, and you'll need to reapply it every two hours. If you're playing sports or swimming, find one that is water-resistant, and remember to reapply more often if you're sweating or after toweling off. And for your lips, definitely keep a lip-specific sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher on hand, and reapply it every two hours, just as you would your regular sunscreen.
Cosmetics can go a long way in protecting your face against UV damage. But sunscreen is only one element of skin cancer prevention. Following our guidelines is the best way to protect your skin and help keep it looking youthful for years to come.

source- The Skin Cancer Foundation

Great tips for year-around protecction

Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher whenever you spend time outdoors.
This applies to all outdoor activities: athletics, shopping, picnicking, walking or jogging, gardening, even waiting for a bus.
Choose a sunscreen with ingredients that block both UVB and UVA rays.
Apply liberally and evenly to all exposed skin. The average adult in a bathing suit should use approximately one ounce of sunscreen per application. Not using enough will effectively reduce the product's SPF and the protection you get.
Be sure to cover often-missed spots: lips, ears, around eyes, neck, scalp if hair is thinning, hands, and feet.
Reapply at least every 2 hours, more often if some of the product may have been removed while swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.
Choose a product that suits your skin and your activity. Sunscreens are available in lotion, gel, spray, cream, and stick forms. Some are labeled as water resistant, sweatproof, or especially for sports; as fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, or especially for sensitive skin or children.

Teens and Tanning Facts

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.
Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. annually; 2.3 million of them are teens.
On an average day in the U.S., more than 1 million people tan in tanning salons; 70% are Caucasian women aged 16-49.
People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
Occasional use of tanning beds almost triples the chances of developing melanoma.
New high-pressure sunlamps emit doses of UVR that can be as much as 15 times that of the sun.
The indoor tanning industry has an estimated revenue of $5 billion.
Up to 90 percent of the visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun. These changes can be seen as early as in one's 20's.

More Melanoma facts

MEN/WOMEN Melanoma facts

The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over age 50.
Skin cancer is the #1 cancer in men over age 50, ahead of prostate, lung and colon cancer.
Men over age 40 spend the most time outdoors and have the highest annual exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Melanoma is the third most common cancer in women aged 20-39.
The percentage of women under age 40 with basal cell carcinoma has tripled in the last thirty years, while their rate of squamous cell cancer has increased four-fold.

Surprising melanoma facts!

MELANOMA
Approximately 59,940 melanomas will be diagnosed this year, with nearly 8,110 resulting in death.


Incidence
Deaths
Men:
33,910
5,220
Women:
26,030
2,890

More than 20 people die each day from skin cancer, primarily melanoma.
1 in 59 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime.
One blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.
While melanoma is uncommon in African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians, it is most deadly for these populations because it is more likely to develop undetected.
Survival rate for patients with early detection is about 99%. The survival rate falls to between and 65% or higher, depending on how far the disease has spread.
The cost of melanoma in the U.S. is more than $740 million annually.