Cancerous Moles, Skin Cancer and Tan Lines

Suntan season, for most people living in the USA, is primarily a seasonal event. However, the last effects of sun damage can have resounding effects that go on long after the swimming pools close down for the fall and winter months. With that said, I think any reasonable person should question their motives, before laying out in the sun without sunscreen protection. Is the short-term relief that some people feel from their dreary, worn out lives really worth the elevated risks that come from too much sun? Well with skin cancer at an all time high these days, it would appear so. Which makes me wonder, what is it that has us all convinced that it is worth putting our lives on the line, to appear more beautiful? Is beauty really only skin deep these days? Ask yourself, why do you go out in the sun without any protection on. You wouldn't stick your hand into a hot oven and grab the oven rack without the protection of an oven mitt of some sort, now would you? No, you wouldn't. But you will bake your body under a hot blazing day. I don't think people realize that they are doing the very same thing. Only difference is, when they use an oven mitt, they're using their brain. Bottomline here people- beauty isn't worth dying over. It isn't worth the pain and suffering. There isn't a dreary day in the world, worth such great risk . Sorry, but, there's not. The cumulative effects of sun exposure put us at higher risk of cellular damage, early wrinkling, age spots, actinic keratoses, and skin cancer. These skin conditions are no laughing matter. They cost Americans billions of dollars each year in escalating health care costs and insurance premiums. I foresee a future, where you will be forced to check a box on an insurance form, asking you if you tan your skin or not. The cost to take care of a person with Melanoma skin cancer is in the millions, and that is just for one person. Just like it is with smoking cigarettes, sunbathing and basking in tanning beds is a choice a person make. The number one way to develop terminal skin cancer, is by sunbathing without protection. So you tell me, do you think medical insurance companies are going to continue to cover stupidity? No, they won't. Furthermore, if you are a sunbather, do you regularly check your skin for spots or moles that arise from the effects of excessive sun exposure? If you do, that's wonderful. Because then you realize that these self checks, are your first line of defense, to catching skin cancer early on.

By spotting a new mole or sun spot on your skin early on, you are already one step ahead of the game, and the medical care for your survival, will most likely have a good, positive and life-long, lasting prognosis. However, all too often young women and men don't check for these early warning signs, and once a cancerous moles start spreading on your skin, it's too late by then for you to get the help you need to live. That is how fast and serious the effects of too much sun can have on your skin. It could cost you your life.

Did you know?

Did you know that sun-kissed skin, is nothing more than one gigantic scab? Yep, that's right- a scab. So why is tanned skin so revered as beautiful? I don't think anyone really knows the answer to that question. But what we do know is that the tanning industry is a multi-billion dollar industry world wide.

Something else you should know is that too much sun can have damaging effects on your body. Over exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, actually accelerates the effects of aging, and also increases your risk for developing skin cancer. To prevent your skin from becoming sun damaged, use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. If you have fair skin or burn easily, use a SPF to 30 or higher. This one simple step, is not only cost effective, but with the new spray on applicators, it's probably the easiest step you can make these days, when keeping your skin looking vibrant and youthful.