5 SUNBURNS SO FAR? CONGRATULATIONS! YOU JUST DOUBLED YOUR RISK FOR SKIN CANCER

When asked to write on skin cancer I thought it would be a piece of cake.  It runs in my family.  I’d grown up with both my father and brother having “spots” removed from their face and hands in the dermatologist’s office.  My brother had two surgeries to remove cancerous cells from a spot on his back.  This was a surprise as my brother was not the type to go around shirtless or sunbathe. I mention this because over 90% of skin cancer cases are caused by sun exposure.

All those suntans you spent hours in the sweaty heat developed into more than a beautiful tan – you increased your odds of skin cancer significantly. You might as well have popped a piece of radioactive chewing gum in your mouth.

Here are a few more startling skin cancer tidbits to chew on (instead of that gum I mentioned):

·       1 in 5 Americans develop skin cancer by age 70.

·       More than two people in the US die of skin cancer every HOUR.

·       Five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma – the form of skin cancer that causes most skin cancer deaths.

·       The melanoma survival rate with early detection and treatment at 5 years is 99%.

Allow me to break down some skin cancer facts for you which were not as easy as I thought it would be:

·       Many kinds of skin cancer exist, but the most common are basal cell carcinoma (BCC)and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).  These can often be cured.

·       Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) arises from basal cells in the top layer in your skin (epidermis) most often found on sun exposed areas of your body (think of this fact when you are selecting your tiny bikini for the pool this summer).

·       Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is less common than BCC.  Squamous cell carcinoma arises from AK lesions.  There are approximately 108 million cases diagnosed annually in the United States.

·       Actinic keratosis (AK) can be called solar keratosis.  AK is a pre-cancerous skin condition caused by sun damage (hence the nickname “solar”).These are most often rough, scaly patches or spots on your skin that develop into SCC if left unattended.  These most often form on sun exposed areas of the skin such as the face, ears, neck and hands.  By the way, tanning beds cause more than 419,000 cases of skin cancer annually.

·       Seborrheic keratosis (SK) can be called senile warts.  These are non-cancerous, and the most common skin growth. These most often appear waxy brown, black or tan and often appear at middle age or older thus being called senile. These are not cancerous but are often mistaken for melanoma which is cancerous.  If you notice a new or changing skin growth, see your doctor!! DO NOT TAKE CHANCES.

·       Over 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer daily resulting in more than two deaths every hour.  More people are diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancers combined.  There are more skin cancer cases that arise from tanning bed exposure than lung cancer cases that arise from smoking. Three countries have banned the use of tanning beds.  Daily use of SPF 15 or higher decreases the chance of skin cancer by 50%.

·       Skin cancer among Asian people makes up 2-4% of all skin cancer cases.

·       Skin cancer among Hispanic people makes up 4-5% of all skin cancer cases.

·       Skin cancer among Black people makes up 1-2% of all skin cancer cases.  However, the melanoma 5-year survival rate for Black patients is 70% compared to the5-year survival rate for white patients of 94%. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer for Blackpeople.

·        By the age of 18 you have only received around20% of your lifetime sun exposure. Hence, the increase in the risk of skin cancer as you age.

·       Women under the age of forty-nine have a greater chance of developing melanoma than any other form of cancer except for breast or thyroid cancer.

·       One in twenty white men and one in forty white women will develop melanoma in their lifetime.

Come on people!!  We need to wake up!!  Is our vanity truly so great that we knowingly send out a handwritten invitation to skin cancer?  After weeks of research on skin cancer and plodding through endless technical and cosmetic material as well, I am furious with our culture.

In my opinion that beautiful golden suntan that disguises my cellulite is not worth dying for.  I can get a perfectly acceptable tan from a bottle or professionally air brushed.   Or I can embrace the long-held concept of a beautiful complexion held by men and women alike before the 1930s; pale is chic.

So, if you see a tall, silver haired woman wearing driving gloves, long sleeves, sunglasses and a Hermes scarf wrapped around her head tied in the back a la 1950s just know that she is wearing a mineral sunblock of SPF 50 and doing her very best to try and make up for the occasional lapse of judgment in her youth.

And please, please wear sunblock daily.  I carry a powder sunblock in a tube with a roll up brush from Color Science in my handbag and car.  I can brush it on the side of my face exposed to the sun through the car window when driving or riding.  If gloves are not your idea of chic summer attire, you can brush sunblock on top of your hands. Don’t forget your neck and décolleté!  Wear a hat, cap or make a sun friendly fashion statement with a beautiful scarf wrapped like Audrey Hepburn.  Beautiful skin is healing skin. Skin cancer is tricky, let us out trick it!!