The American Academy of Dermatology obviously knows that jingles will jiggle in your brain long after you've forgotten the same thing when someone just tells it to you. That's why they've come up with a song as part of their Indoor Tanning is Out campaign. We won't waste our time telling you about the campaign, just listen to the song:
If you can't see the video above, you can watch it at YouTube. Or you can download the MP3 from from the AAD.
When melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, goes untreated, the mutant pigment cells that are normally responsible for the color of your skin, the melanocytes, start to spread to other parts of the body and form tumors. That's when it becomes almost impossible to stop the disease, and that's why scientists like Grant Wheeler of Britain are looking for a drug that would prevent skin cancer from spreading.
To test out potential drugs, Wheeler has been using tadpoles. Fertilized frog eggs are exposed to the compound being tested and if the tadpoles that grow from the eggs don't develop their normal pattern of color markings it means that the drug has prevented their pigment cells from spreading.
Wheeler has found a compound that does just that, and hopes that it means that it could be used in the future to prevent malignant pigment cells from spreading in humans. Until then, the best way to prevent skin cancer from spreading is early detection. So contact us and make your appointment for a full body skin exam today.
The staff at the Center for Excellence in Dermatology will be participating in this year's Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society's signature fund-raiser. The Relay for Life raises much-needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment.
Each year 3.5 million people nationwide are brought together for local Relay for Life events to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost to the disease and fight to put an end to the disease.
And this year, we have a fun way you can help our team raise money: Stop by and get a $1 raffle ticket for your chance to win one of nine different gift baskets we've put together (most of which are worth over a hundred dollars each):
Movie Time Basket: Everything for the movie lover: Popcorn, hot air popper, soda, candy, lap blanket, 5 DVDs and 4 movie passes from Fairchild Cinemas.
Fisherman's Haul: This basket is full of all kinds of different hooks, lures and bait, a Bass Master magazine, lure box, bait box, and even a small first aid kit.
Wake-up Time Basket: Two pounds of Starbucks coffee, one from Columbia, one from Brazil, two kinds of Tazo tea, and some milk chocolate and dark chocolate covered coffee beans.
Animal Lover: This pet bed “basket” includes lots of great stuff for your cat and dog: Food, treats, toys, grooming brush, food bowl, and more.
Bath Time: Basket includes warm vanilla sugar scented products from Bath & Body Works including lotion, bath gel, hand sanitizer, sanitizing hand soap, shampoo and conditioner.
Stress Relief Basket: Dermalogica’s skincare kit for normal/dry skin, stress relief oil, mineral salts, candle, and Ti-Silc sheer SPF 45 sunblock.
Fun for Kids Basket: Lots of toys, games and puzzles to keep your child entertained for hours.
Gourmet Food from Washington State: Cake, cookies, tea, salmon, soup, candied corn, jam and coffee, all in a tote bag.
Sachi Lunch Tote: Bean soup, crackers, cherries and nuts all in a handy thermal-lined lunch bag from Sachi
We will be holding the raffle on Tuesday, June 2, 2009, so your last day to purchase raffle tickets is Monday, June 1, 2009.
For May's upcoming Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month®, the American Academy of Dermatology has launched a public service campaign, "Indoor Tanning is Out™," that includes print, radio and video ads encouraging people to think twice before getting an indoor tan. The ads target young women since women make up 70% of indoor tanners, most of whom are 16 to 29-years-old. This and the fact that indoor tanning before the age of 35 has been associated with a significant increase in the risk of melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, has been the driving force behind the ads. The ads also point out that tanning can lead to premature aging of the skin, wrinkles and sunspots.
To find out more, see American Academy of Dermatology's Indoor Tanning Factsheet and our website's information on skin exams to screen for suspicious moles.
A new study in the journal Cancer Cell finds that overexposure to the sun may trigger genetic damage to the BRAF gene, resulting in up to two-thirds of melanoma cases. While melanoma accounts for only a small percentage of skin cancers, it accounts for most skin cancer deaths.
So your take-away message is to protect your skin from the sun, stay away from tanning booths, wear sunscreen and contact us to make your appointment today if you have any suspicious moles.
To read the complete story at MSNBC.com, click here.
If you think you know a lot about skin cancer, test your knowledge with this quiz at MSNBC.com. You'll discover some risk factors for skin cancer you may not have known about.
A recent AP story reported that 17 states, including Florida and Hawaii, are currently considering bans on tanning salon visits for minors because of skin cancer fears. The teens would be required under these proposals to get written permission from their parents or a doctor before being allowed to tan indoors.
A research and education group, Aim at Melanoma, is helping to get these proposals before state legislatures. Their goal is for all states to prevent anyone under 18 to use tanning beds without parental permission because of evidence that minors are more susceptible to skin damage. Twenty-nine states already have laws against minors tanning, but most are aimed at children under 16 or 14.
To get an idea of how many people these laws would affect, consider these facts:
A quarter of teens 15-18 have used tanning beds in the last year.
Nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the United States annually. Of these, 2.3 million are teens.
Nearly 70 percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women, primarily aged 16 to 29 years.
Sometimes it seems there's a Starbucks on every street corner, but a recent study by San Diego State University found that in many cities in the United States there are more tanning salons than Starbucks. A quick look at a Tri-Cities phone book shows we fit right into the study with 27 tanning salons to eight Starbucks locations.
With bathing suit season right around the corner, we thought we'd share some info from the American Academy of Dermatology and tell you some reasons why we think you should stay away from tanning salons and use sunscreen when you're outdoors:
The United States Department of Health & Human Services has declared ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).
Indoor tanning equipment, which includes all artificial light sources, including beds, lamps, bulbs, booths, etc., emits UVA and UVB radiation.The amount of the radiation produced during indoor tanning is similar to the sun and in some cases may be stronger.
A Swedish study presents strong evidence that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning increases the risk of melanoma, especially when exposed at an early age.
Evidence from several studies has shown that exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning devices is associated with an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
A review of seven studies found a statistically significant increase in the risk of melanoma in those who had been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning before the age of 35
Studies have demonstrated that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in the skin cells. Also excessive exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning can lead to skin aging, immune suppression, and eye damage, including cataracts and ocular melanoma.
Because UV radiation from indoor tanning can lead to skin cancer, eye damage, aging skin and immune suppression, it is not safe to use tanning lamps to obtain vitamin D.
So, how should you get ready for swimsuit season? First, if you want to look tan, try a sunless tanning product. There are a variety of lotions, creams, gels and sprays available to give you a nicely bronzed look without the danger of developing skin cancer, wrinkles or age spots. (In fact, many tanning salons offer safe spray-on tans.) The active ingredient in most sunless tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), and it works by coloring the outermost layer of skin. This coloring won't wash off, but as your dead skin cells slough off your sunless tan will fade. If you don't reapply the tanner, typically your tan will be completely gone in less than a week.
(Please note that although topical sunless tanners are safe to use, sunless tanning pills are not. These have not been approved by the FDA and should be avoided.)
Tips for sunless tanning:
Prepare your skin by exfoliating, using a wash cloth or sponge to remove excess dead skin cells. If you shave your legs, do so before applying. This will help your tan last longer.
Use a little more sunless tanning lotion than you would to moisturize.
Go lightly over knees, ankles and elbows to keep these areas from getting too dark.
Wash hands and under fingernails thoroughly after applying. Better yet, wear gloves. Then apply a little tanning solution to tops of hands using a cotton ball.
Most sunless tanners don't contain sunscreen so don't forget to apply sunscreen before you go outside.
To keep your skin safe, we carry the complete line of Procyte Advanced Sun Protection products in our office. Procyte's high-performance sun care products leave skin soft and supple, not sticky or chalky, and come in a full range of SPFs. Ti-Silc and Z-Silc offer superior protection with effortless blending by utilizing micronized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
Finally, there's another reason why you might want to visit a coffee shop instead of your local tanning salon. Researchers at Rutgers University have found that a combination of caffeine and exercise might help prevent skin cancer. But even if you're planning a jog to Starbucks, don't forget to wear your sunscreen!
