It is estimated that 20 percent of Americans will have skin cancer at some point in their lives. They further note that about 9.500 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer each day. Let’s see how we can best protect ourselves from early aging and cancer.
Myths Debunked
First of all, there is the belief that tanning is necessary in order to get vitamin D.
Houshmand says there is no reason to put yourself at risk for skin cancer and accelerated aging in order to get sufficient vitamin D.
“Proper vitamin D levels can be accomplished through proper diet and supplementation without harming the skin,” she explained.
Darker-skinned people can still develop skin cancer and experience photoaging (premature aging of the skin caused by repeated sun exposure),” said Houshmand. “A tan, in all skin colors, indicates damage to your skin and the damage leads to skin cancer and aging.”
Lastly, she examined the idea that it’s safe to get a pretan in a tanning bed, citing statistics from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
“Ten or more uses of a tanning bed will increase the risk of melanoma by 34 percent,” she said. “People who use a tanning bed before the age of 35 increase their risk by 75 percent.”
Research Finds
- Skin cancer is a very common, but preventable cancer.
- However, a new survey reveals that many people don’t do as good a job of protecting themselves as they think.
- Misconceptions about tanning are still quite common as well.
- Experts say it is important to protect your skin in order to prevent cancer and premature aging.
How To Protect Ourselves From the Sun
However, she added that, “Sunscreens are an easy, convenient, and effective way to protect your skin from the sun.”
She recommends applying them 20 minutes before you go out for the best results.
“Apply liberally — don’t be stingy — the equivalent amount of one to two Ping-Pong balls on sun-exposed areas,” she said. “Don’t forget about sensitive areas, like your face, ears, back of the neck, and tops of feet, or hard-to-reach places like your back.”
She further suggests that it’s a good idea to buy sunscreen every season since they do expire.
Another very important step in keeping your skin healthy is to drink tons of water. The easiest way to keep track is to buy a 40oz insulated bottle and drink two bottles a day. That’s the goal you may not reach this every day but that’s the goal. More than your skin needs lots of water.
Melinda
References:
lookingforthelight.blog 