0 Stop Tanning....NOW...and Go With Your Own Glow

Are you a tanner? I was for a few years....but no more....a landmark study confirming that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light (radiation from the sun or tanning machines) is the most common cause of melanoma and there are a host of reasons to give up tanning.

1. Studies Link UV Radiation to the Deadliest Form of Skin Cancer
Scientists have analyzed the genome (the complete DNA information) for melanoma, and, according to a definitive new study from The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, in Hinxton, England, the vast majority of mutations found in this potentially deadly disease are caused by ultraviolet radiation. For the first time, researchers have identified thousands of mutations that occur in melanoma genes. Above all, these mutations are caused by damage to the skin cells’ DNA by UV radiation. According to the Institute, “The melanoma genome contains more than 33,000 mutations, many of which bear the imprint of the most common cause of melanoma — exposure to ultraviolet light.” Additionally, in July the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) added radiation from UV-emitting tanning machines to its list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation — a list that includes the radioactive element plutonium as well as solar UV. Studies show that first exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.

2. Tanning Beds Increase the Risk of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers
Tanning bed users have 2.5 times the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times the risk of basal cell carcinoma. These nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are the two most common skin cancers, and both can be highly disfiguring if not caught and treated in a timely manner. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer, affects over a million Americans annually. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) can metastasize if not caught early; approximately 2,500 people in the US die every year from SCC. People with a history of NMSC face twice the risk of developing other malignancies, like lung, colon, and breast cancer.

3. UV Exposure Causes Skin Aging
Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by UV exposure. The cellular damage to the skin’s DNA caused by UV radiation is cumulative and leads to fine wrinkles, deep grooves, blotchiness, sagging, and a leathery texture. People who accumulate a lot of UV exposure in their childhood and teen years may see signs of damage as early as in their twenties.

4. Tanning is Not Fashionable
Celebrities, models, and fashion insiders all know that tanning is no longer in style. Many actors and actresses are proud to be pale; they wouldn’t alter their natural beauty or risk damaging their skin by tanning.: A healthy glow does not mean a tan. A healthy glow means your natural skin tone, glowing. Skin that is not tan is gorgeous.

This is a trend you’d be smart to follow! Go with your own glow!!