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 Visiting a tanning salon for “base tan” will NOT protect your skin from DNA (cancer) injury. (Pigment Cell Melanoma Research 02/2011) People with darker skin (such as African ancestry) tend to be much less susceptible to ultraviolet (sun) induced DNA damage (skin cancers) than those with lighter skin (such as Northern European ancestry). So many […]

Age is no guarantee of wisdom (Archives of Dermatology 12/2010) More than 30 MILLION people use tanning beds in the U.S. each year despite the fact that the World Health Organization has designated tanning beds as cancer causing. Researchers have suggested that the increasing incidence of Melanoma and non-Melanoma skin cancers is due to the […]

(American Journal of Medicine 05/2010) According to recent surveys, only about 13% of women and 16% of men received skin cancer screening   Total skin examination by a qualified physician represents a major opportunity – or one lost – to detect early skin cancer such as Melanoma. How often do you think most of us […]

(CNN, EWG 5/11) With the new FDA guidelines on sunscreens, many agencies are advising you to remember that sunscreens alone cannot prevent skin cancer.   Don’t forget about staying in the shade, using protective clothing such as wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection, and trying to avoid sun at the peak hours of 10 […]

FDA (6/11). The FDA just released new guidelines for sunscreen labeling. Despite the explosion of sunscreens, there has also been an explosion of skin cancer. Melanoma has increased by 45% from 1992 to 2004, and it is now the most common form of cancer in young people in their late 20′s.   Now all sunscreens […]

Buy a BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreen, meaning it must protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Buy at least a 15 SPF. Most doctors would disagree with this and say you need a 30 SPF, but remember that going up to a 50 or even a 100 doesn’t really make any difference.  No sunscreen can […]

(American Academy of Dermatology, Chicago Tribune 7/11). Skin cancer of the scalp is not common, but because hair can obscure it from diagnosis, it can become more advanced. The AAD has advised that there are sunscreen agents formulated for the scalp (YUCK! THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD OBJECT TO PUTTING EXTRA PRODUCTS INTO FRESHLY COIFFED HAIR), […]

Although most people are familiar with the word melanoma, and think it is the most lethal skin cancer, the survival rates for the Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) are much worse. It is an uncommon form of skin cancer. A study done in Australia from 1993-2007 showed 64% of MCC alive at 5 years, versus 90% […]

(Loyola University Medical Center 7/11). Baseball caps, flip-flops, and other cool summer attire present a serious problem: They leave areas of the skin exposed to harmful rays from the sun. The risk of developing skin cancers in these areas is very real, and especially dangerous on the top of the ears because people rarely inspect or […]

(Archives of Dermatology 6/11). It seems skin cancer surveillance should focus on patients over 50 years old, as they have more difficulty in spotting melanoma on their own. More than 50% of melanomas were found by dermatologists in older patients, versus more young patients spotting their own lesions by being more aware of changes in their […]

Tumor formation was delayed and reduced with chemical peeling agents after exposure to ultraviolet (sun) radiation (Journal Dermatology Science 10/2010) Chemical Peels are popular procedures for the rejuvenation of sun-damaged skin. They can improve fine lines and brown spots on skin that is already at risk for skin cancers. Researchers investigated the effects of Peels […]