Callan McCollister
Living in Southern California, being tan is important and equated with health and beauty, but people easily forget that being out in the sun all day can have a damaging effect on the skin.
Many of us are sun-drenched beach bums who spend hours tanning in the sun and at salons without giving a second thought to what might happen as a result.
Instead, people should be limiting their intake of sun and learning how to protect their skin.
A problem for a lot of people is that they are in denial about the harmful effects of the sun.
When someone goes tanning they usually don’t think about the repercussions it will have 10 years down the road. Many are willing to put vanity before health if it means being tan.
However, the reality of sun exposure is quite apparent in the Shar-pei-skinned middle-aged men and women whose sun damage has caught up with them.
“I do think tanning is vain and I cringe at the old people who come in here,” said Pierce College student Shannan Matlis, who is an employee at Sunset Beach tanning salon in Woodland Hills. “If I didn’t work here, I would never tan.”
It cannot be emphasized enough how detrimental artificial tanning is to the skin. Even though tanning salons preach that their beds have harmless UVA rays, the truth is that all UV rays are dangerous.
According to the National Cancer Institute, women who visit the tanning salon more than once a month will increase their chance of developing malignant melanoma by 55 percent.
In actuality, exposure to ultraviolet light, even the UVA rays in tanning beds, accounts for 90 percent of the symptoms of premature skin aging, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
“Skin damage is additive, with more and more damage accumulating over the decades,” said Dr. Michael Lin, an Encino-based dermatologist.†”When we are born we have perfect, flawless skin.†
However, as we are exposed to ultraviolet light, one can see the signs of skin damage.Ӡ
Many frequent sunbathers will develop unsightly sun spots, moles and wrinkles that can be seen on the backs of the hands, chest, shoulders and arms.
Too much time in the sun can also affect your vision. People may experience cloudy vision, which is a form of eye damage called cataracts. If left untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness.
Most importantly, sun damage can lead to skin cancer.
There are two types of skin cancer–melanoma and nonmelanoma, that are both curable when caught in the earlier stages.
“By the time we are in our teens or 20s, a certain percentage of our skin cells are already turning ‘precancerous,’ even though the changes cannot be seen by the naked eye,” said Lin.
With this said, it is clear that prevention is key, however, many still don’t take it seriously.
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, yet it is the most preventable. According to WebMd, four out of five cases of skin cancer could have been prevented.
To lower one’s risk of skin cancer, expert cancer organizations recommend seven simple steps.
1) Avoid the sun whenever possible.
This is especially important between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Whatever you do, don’t allow yourself to get sunburned.
2) Always wear sunscreen.
Sunscreen should be applied to all sun-exposed areas at least a half an hour before going out in the sun or every two to four hours.
3) Wear a hat.
Hats can give you up to SPF 6, especially if it’s wide-brimmed.
4) Wear sunglasses.
They can prevent cataracts and other eye damage the sun may cause.
5) Cover up!
Make sure that your clothing is covering as much skin as possible because most material will absorb or reflect harmful rays.
6) Avoid artificial tanning.
Artificial tanning poses the same threats as outdoor tanning. It is like you’re paying for cancer. So don’t do it!
7) Give yourself routine skin checks.
Be familiar with your birthmarks and moles so that you can easily identify any change. Check for changes in size, texture, shape and color.
“Early detection, early treatment and limiting ultraviolet light exposure,” said Lin, “are the keys to maintaining healthy skin.”