LOVE . SUN . BEAUTY

Planning a beach vacation this winter? Travelers should be aware that ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun plays a significant role in the development of skin cancer. In fact, about 86 percent of melanomas and 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to UV rays.

Skin cancer risk depends greatly on cumulative lifetime sun exposure, but melanoma has been linked most frequently to intense exposure - the kind often obtained during beach vacations. This kind of periodic, concentrated UV exposure frequently causes sunburn, and severely damages the skin. It is believed to also play a part in basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. On average, a person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.

"It's important to properly protect your skin every day, and you need to be extra cautious in very sunny conditions," said Dr. Perry Robins, president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. "Prolonged exposure to UV radiation causes premature skin aging and can lead to skin cancer."

Those tempted to get a "base tan" before hitting the beach should beware: There's no such thing as a healthy or protective tan. Whether obtained by lying out in the sun or through using a tanning bed, a tan represents DNA damage to the skin. In fact, just one indoor tanning session before the age of 35 increases your melanoma risk by 75 percent.

If you're headed to a sunny destination this winter, The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the following sun protection tips:

• Cover Up: Clothing is your first line of defense against the sun's harmful UV rays, and it is a consistent shield that helps protect the skin. In addition, wearing UV-absorbing swimwear like wetsuits and rash guards offers extra UV protection when you're in the water. Sarongs and cover-ups offer additional protection on shore.
• Shield Your Face: Sunglasses that filter out the sun's UV rays will help protect your eyes and eyelids from conditions including cataracts, while a broad-brimmed hat (with at least a 3-inch brim all around) will help protect the top of the head, neck, face, ears and scalp.
• Beware of Reflection: Water and sand reflect the sun's UV rays, adding to the intensity of exposure.
• Apply Sunscreen: Using a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day is crucial. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply one ounce, or two tablespoons, every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating heavily.
• Seek Shade: During peak sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), keep covered under a large sun umbrella. It's best to hit the beach early in the morning or late in the afternoon. You'll avoid the crowds and save your skin.
• Avoid Tanning and UV Tanning Booths: Whether you "lay out" or visit a tanning salon, there is no such thing as a safe tan. Tanning increases the risk of developing skin cancers, including melanoma. In addition, tanning leads to premature skin aging, including wrinkles, leathery skin and age spots.

Sunlight has a profound effect on the skin causing premature skin aging, skin cancer, and a host of skin changes. Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging.

We often associate a glowing complexion with good health, but skin color obtained from being in the sun – or in a tanning booth – actually accelerates the effects of aging and increases your risk for developing skin cancer.

Sun exposure causes most of the skin changes that we think of as a normal part of aging. Over time, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin. When these fibers breakdown, the skin begins to sag, stretch, and lose its ability to go back into place after stretching.  

True or False?

• Long amounts of UV light exposure cause the breakdown of the elastin and collagen in our skin and contribute to premature aging issues, such as, wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation. (True)
• UVA rays are rarely the cause of skin cancer and wrinkling. (False)
• UVB rays do not cause sunburns and freckling. (False)
• SPF refers only to the protection level from sunburns, meaning that a lot of sunscreens only protect your skin from UVB rays, not UVA. (True)
• The term BROAD SPECTRUM refers to a sunscreen offering protection from both UVA and UVB rays. (True)
• There is no need to wear both sunscreen and protective clothing when out in the sun. (False)
• You do not need to wear sunscreen on cloudy days. (False)
• If you have dark skin that rarely or never burns, your skin isn’t getting damaged and you don’t need sun protection. (False)
• UV protection is the only beauty product that can honestly claim it prevents wrinkles, photo-aging, and other side effects of premature aging. (True)
• Chemical sunscreens take around 25 minutes to work, while physical protection, like sun protective clothing or physical barrier sunscreen (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide), take effect immediately. (True)
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can prevent scalp sunburns and your hair color from fading. (True)

Beauty by the Numbers

• The average woman spends $50,000 on her hair in her lifetime.
• Women who color their hair spend an average of $330 a year.
• The average woman spends $15,000 on makeup in her lifetime.
• The average woman spends 20 minutes doing her makeup each day, equivalent to 330 days in her lifetime.
• 10% of Americans spend an average of $300 a year on indoor tanning.
• Each year, women spend a total of $9 billion on tanning and $3 billion on tanning products.
• In 2009, Americans spend $10 billion on cosmetic surgery. 85% of those procedures were non-surgical, like Botox.
• 98% of women 25-54 years of age who visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon spend up to $500 a year on facial procedures.
• Americans spend around $12 billion annually on anti-aging products.
• According to Business Wire, in 2003: total US market for tanning is over $9 billion per year, and does not include the $3 billion tanning products market.

Regardless of your skin tone, sun damage can cause skin cancer and older, damaged looking skin. Even darker skin is susceptible to hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles and sun spots, making skin look uneven.

The most efficient, effective and economical way to preserve your beauty is spend your dollars and time protecting your skin and hair from the ravages of the sun rather than spending money on costly beauty treatments to correct and cover up the damage.