"Sun" Proving Your Skin

Everyone is becoming more and more aware of damages that can be caused by sun over-exposure. Some of the consequences are melanoma, hyper and hypo-pigmentation, age spots, premature aging, dehydration, as well as many others.
Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself:

• Always use a sunscreen. A minimum of SPF 30 is recommended for the face, and 20 for the body. Remember to reapply every two hours or so. The sunscreen becomes ineffective within two hours as it is absorbed into the body. If you are worried about congestion, wear mineral make-up instead. Just remember to avoid minerals with fillers like talc.


• Cover up or stay in the shade. Avoid being in the sun for a prolonged period of time. Be aware that some articles of clothing still allow UV rays to penetrate.


• If you do get sunburned, immediately apply a soothing lotion which contains aloe or tea tree to relieve the discomfort. Reapply frequently to keep your skin hydrated and to avoid peeling.


• If you don't want to risk the sun but want the color, try a bronzing cream. They are easier to use than you think. Make sure you exfoliate first; apply a relatively thin layer and massage in. Gently buff off areas like elbows or knees to avoid having darker areas. It is better to use a self-tanner that has an instant bronzer, so you know where you have put it. Make sure to wash your hands well after!

Skin Cancer Facts and Safe Tanning Tips

Did you know? 1 in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime?

Another scary fact is that just one blistering sunburn in your child hood more than doubles a person’s chances for developing melanoma later in life.

Do you know in which population skin cancer is most deadly?

Populations with dark skin have the highest mortality rate when it comes to skin cancer because in these populations it usually goes undetected for longer.

No one is safe when it comes to the sun.

But, skin cancer is probably the most preventable cancer out there. By taking a few pro-cautions each day can save your life - literally.

Forms of Skin Cancer

There are three main types of skin cancer:

1. Basal Cell Carcinoma- The most common form of skin cancer. Basal Cells are the cells that line the deepest layer of the epidermis (outer most layer of the skin). This form of skin cancer has a low rate of metastasis (the spread of cancer from its original site) and is usually not life threatening.

2. Squamous Cell Carcinoma - The second most common form of skin cancer. Squamous cells are the cells that compose most of your epidermis. Most cases of SCC are not serious; however, when over looked, this form of skin cancer is harder to treat and can spread to other areas of the body. When this happens, the results are often fatal.

3. Melanoma - The most serious and most deadly form of skin cancer. However, when found and treated early, it is nearly 100% curable. This cancer is not the most common, but causes the most deaths as it easily spreads throughout the body.

This form of skin cancer originates in your melanocytes (the cells that produce pigment color in our hair, skin and eyes. This form of cancer usually is brown or black and can appear in any area of the body - even areas that may not see any sun (like the bottoms of your feet, or near or around your unmentionables). Melanomas can also be skin coloured, pink, red, purple, blue or white in color as well.

People that have a high number of moles on their skin are at more of a risk of developing this type of skin cancer.

So what can you do to avoid developing skin cancer?

1. I know this has been drilled into your head since you were a child but here it is again: Wear a SPF every day! Even on cloudy overcast days. UVA and UVB rays cause mutation in your skin cells - an abnormal amount of skin cell mutations and you have skin cancer!

This is the easiest way to protect yourself every day from over exposure from the sun’s harmful rays.

2. Avoid tanning beds. There is no such thing as a safe tanning bed. There are many out there that claim that their rays are not as harmful as the sun’s; this is because tanning beds usually don’t cause your skin to burn. But tanning your skin causes just as much damage to your skin. And plus, you’re basically laying in a microwave - the radiation from the tanning bed passes through your skin and potentially into your blood stream…need I say more?

3. Make an appointment with your doctor. Have moles? Maybe they haven’t changed shape or color, but making an appointment to have your body checked over for anything suspicious is a good idea. Remember, when it comes to skin cancer, the earlier that it is detected, the better.

If you do have moles that have changed shape and color, you must go in to have even the slightest changes looked at by your Doctor; even if it’s not a huge change in appearance - do yourself a favour and bring it to your Doctors attention.

4. Check your family history. If a first degree relative of yours (your mother, father or siblings) has had Melanoma you are 50 % more likely to develop the disease yourself. Even if it was a grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle, you are still at an increased risk of developing melanoma, although not as great.

How big of a SPF should I wear every day? A Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 for fair skin should be worn every day. However; no matter if your SPF is a 60 or a 4, you need to apply it often to receive full protection benefits.

Golden Skin

Who doesn’t like a golden glow? I know I do but being a natural redhead I have pale skin even in the warmest sunniest months.

And I don’t tan - I burn! My risk for developing skin cancer in my life time is pretty good. Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with Basal Cell Carcinoma. Even though this is the least deadly form of skin cancer the words “dad” and “cancer” in the same sentence is one of the scariest things to hear.

But it’s not uncommon: skin cancer is the #1 form of cancer for men over the age of 50. When my dad was young, the effects of the sun were generally unknown. He worked long hours outside without sun protection and now his life has been threatened by it.

My solution to get a golden glow

Not only do I get all of my moles and skin irregularities checked out every couple of months by my doctor, I wear a sunscreen every day and avoid the sun as much as possible. And, I apply a self tanning treatment so I can still walk around with a golden-goddess-glow.

I recommend Guinot Auto Bronze: Self Tanning Cream. Using a natural source of sugar, that when in contact with oxygen, tints your skin to a natural golden glow. And, it goes on with a tint, so you can see where you’ve applied it.

Applying this can be pretty tricky by yourself; especially if you don’t know how to properly apply a self tanning cream. The Guinot Body Bronzing treatment at Le Petit Spa will leave you with an even, golden glow, its $50 and will last about a week.

This is a good way to start out your “fake” tan; by having a professional apply your first application and then you can take it from there by applying the tanning cream yourself to build up to the desired darkness you want. Plus, you can learn some tips on how to properly apply a self tanning cream from your esthetician.

Make your self-tanning-cream tan last longer:

1. Moisturize to prevent dry skin from developing and sloughing off your tan.

2. Exfoliate before applying self tanning cream, and moisturize your entire body before applying your self tanning cream.

3. Wear loose clothing when applying these products and if you can, stay naked for about half an hour after applying these products.

I hope these tips and facts about skin cancer will help you make this summer your safest summer yet! For more information on our body bronzing treatment visit our tanning web page

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Facts and stats for this blog found at:
http://www.skincancer.org/skincancer-facts.php