 |
|
|
|
The Bronze Age Is Over
Unfortunately, the opportunity to spend quality time outdoors brings with it the very real risk of over-exposure to the sun. It is far too easy to overdo your “solar experience”, especially, when your skin is lily white and you are not used to being outside. Hence, the inevitable warning to use sunscreen and other protection when outdoors. Summertime is frustrating for Dr. Beatrice Wang, director of McGill University’s Melanoma Clinic. Dr. Wong watches people slowly “bake” themselves to a crispy brown color and every day she sees patients looking for help with skin cancer, sun damage, premature wrinkles and uneven pigmentation. “You just can’t beat it into the public mind that a tan is a sign of sun damage,” Warning Signs. “Or that it’s a sign your DNA has been affected, and that your skin is reacting to protect you by getting thicker and browner. We think of it as healthy-looking, but, ironically, a tan means wrinkling, brown spots, leathery skin and dilated blood vessels. The net outcome is you look a lot older than you really are.” Dr. Beatrice Wang also comments, “regular sunscreen is already an anti-aging product, even with nothing else in it. You don’t really need anything else to protect your skin. Sunscreen protects; it’s that simple.” Source: Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, July 02, 2009 UVB rays are usually blamed for cancer but recent studies have shown that there is also a clear link between UVA rays and the development of this disease. Furthermore, UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin producing the premature aging associated with constant sunbathing; such as loss of elasticity, dry skin, skin sagging, pigment changes and deep wrinkles. The US National Cancer Institute has the following comment on Ultra Violet (UV) Radiation: Source: The US Cancer Institute Definition of Cancer Terms, www.cancer.gov Old looking skin, wrinkles and liver spots would be virtually nonexistent without sun damage. The surface of the sun is twenty times hotter than a broiling oven and for some people all it takes is 10 minutes of exposure to ‘toast’ them more thoroughly than a wiener over a campfire. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, primarily UVB, causes this damage and, extended or repeated exposure, dramatically increases the risk of serious harm to skin cells. Eighty percent of skin aging is due to the environment and the Sun is the worst possible thing for aging the skin. With this in mind, it is very worrisome that people want to look tanned. Once they do that, the damage has already been done. Generally, the amount of time it takes for exposed skin to burn is dependent on skin type. The American Academy of Dermatology lists six skin types. These classifications are based on sensitivity to ultraviolet light and skin tone. Six Skin Types
Tanning Beds/Ultra Violet Lighting The authors wrote in their special report: “A comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that the risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75 per cent when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age,” They also stated that they found consistent evidence of a positive association between the use of ultraviolet (UV) emitting tanning devices and cancer of the eye; ocular melanoma. This report expands on previous studies which found that young frequent users are up to eight times more likely to get melanoma than people who have never used a tanning bed. As a result of the Lancet study, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) principal source for information about the disease, announced it has moved tanning devices up to its highest risk category for cancer to group 1: “carcinogenic to humans.” This is the same category as hepatitis B, arsenic, radium and tobacco smoke. Until this week, tanning beds were classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” or group 2A. Furthermore, they moved UV radiation as a whole into group 1 from group 2A. In Britain, the leading cancer diagnosed in women in their 20s now is melanoma; the deadliest type of skin cancer. Sun Protection Tips
Sunscreen
Vitamin D Vitamin D’s major roles include:
Once again, it is far too easy to overdo your summer sun experience, especially when you are not accustomed to being outside. Small periods of unprotected sun exposure are probably not harmful but, if you are exposed to the direct rays of the sun for a long time, please follow the suggestions above. They will ensure that you enjoy many future summers in good health. It is alright to have fun and enjoy your outdoor life, but be safe. If you need assistance, the Wolfe Clinic’s Natural Health Practitioners and knowledgeable product specialists are here to help you make the right choices. Your questions or concerns are promptly answered via email or telephone. It is never too late to start living a healthy life. It is never too late to start living a healthy life. Call The Wolfe Clinic today! Call The Wolfe Clinic Today!
We currently have no related information on this item.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disclaimer * Information contained within this site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Under current legislation, The Wolfe Clinic is not permitted to make claims in support of health benefits derived from natural foods. This means we cannot make specific statements as to how food-based, non-drug, natural products may help to prevent or treat disease. Taking natural products should be a decision based on personal research and on the understanding of the role that food and food-derived supplements play in health and well being. Additionally, such natural products should be used only with the advice and support of a qualified natural health professional. Any information presented herein or information received via telephone or email, should not be construed as the practice of medicine. The Wolfe Clinic is not responsible for the misuse and/or abuse of any product sold. Website users, previous and future customers who fail to consult their health care professional prior to the purchase and subsequent use of any product, assume the risk of any adverse effects. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The long, hot days between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox are a time for garden work, vacations, pleasant evenings spent outside, and weekend fun. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer’s friendly weather yields only a few short months for us to enjoy the great outdoors. It is a delightful break from that long, cold period spent indoors under cover from rain, snow, and the cold. 
“Ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is made up of two types of rays, called UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are more likely than UVA rays to cause sunburn, but UVA rays pass deeper into the skin. Scientists have long thought that UVB radiation can cause melanoma and other types of skin cancer. They now think that UVA radiation also may add to skin damage that can lead to skin cancer and cause premature aging. For this reason, skin specialists recommend that people use sunscreens that reflect, absorb, or scatter both kinds of ultraviolet radiation.”
In general, fair skin burns more quickly than darker skin. It is important to understand that, no matter what your skin type, there are simple ways to protect yourself from the Sun’s damaging rays. People with darker skin may not burn but, the Sun’s UV rays still damage and prematurely age their skin. 
All sunscreen products have a label which states its Sun Protection Factor (SPF.) This represents the amount of time that the sunscreen protected skin can be exposed to UVB rays before burning starts in comparison to the length of time it takes to burn unprotected skin. In other words, SPF indicates how much longer you can be exposed to the sun before getting a sunburn. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will filter approximately ninety percent of the UVB. A person who would otherwise burn in 10 minutes would burn in 150 minutes using SPF 15. In other words, this sunscreen allows a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer than if they did not have any protection on. The SPF varies depending on the nature of the sun blocking ingredients in the product. SPF refers only to protection against UVB so it is essential to choose a sunscreen product that will also protect you from UVA radiation.
There have been claims that the compounds in some sunscreens might have harmful effects. For example, zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which block ultraviolet rays, can create free radicals in the presence of sunlight. These claims are probably misleading as the compounds must penetrate skin cells in order to cause damage. Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and the research done there by health officials indicate that this does not happen; “The weight of current evidence is that they remain on the surface of the skin and in the outer dead layer (stratum corneum) of the skin,” they wrote in one report. Their conclusion is that zinc oxide and other compounds in sunscreen do not damage cells or increase melanoma risk. Other researchers, looking for links between sunscreen and skin cancer, followed thousands of sun worshipers. They found no evidence of greater risk.
As you can see Vitamin D plays an important role in the maintenance of almost every body function. The “Sunshine Vitamin” really does extend and improve people’s lives. It is inexpensive, safe, and easy to take. Remember that you need to keep a proper balance of small amounts of sun exposure and Vitamin D supplements to maintain appropriate levels of this vitamin while keeping the risks of skin damage and cancer to a bare minimum.
