stay away from tanning / beds

Here are a few things I just read on the website of the The Skin Cancer Foundation. Both of my grandmothers had skin cancer, and I inherited extremely fair skin from both of them, so my risk factor for skin cancer is way high. So I try to use sunscreen and wear protective clothing as much as possible. And keep in mind that tanned skin is damaged skin! I just burn and freckle anyway. ;o)

So here are a few facts I picked up from the site above and thought I would share for educational purposes:

--> More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.

--> A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

--> 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.
(I can attest to that! ;o)


The Food and Drug Administration in the USA is starting a new labeling system for sunscreen: The labels will now show the protection factor against UVA as well as UVB. So look for SPF (or SBPF) of 50+ and 3-4 stars when you shop for suncreen!