Solar Flare

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
-song

Today I'll let a photo do most of the talking. This incredible solar flare on June 7 was ranked as an M2.5, or medium-sized flare, in terms of energy. Remember that the Earth would fit inside a lowercase o in this picture and then imagine what a massive solar flare would be like.

Bottom Line

Civilization is more fragile than we know.

Tanning Salons

“To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if you nurse one drink) and if you borrow, borrow big.” -
Aristotle, Ancient Greek Philosopher

A brief note today based upon the Consumerist story Indoor Tanning Quadruples Risk Of Skin Cancer. A new study from the American Association for Cancer Research has determined that frequent use of tanning beds can quadruple your risk of skin cancer. An estimated 30 million Americans visit tanning salons each year and unknowingly(?) endanger the future health of their skin.

A (student?) paper published by Vanderbilt University compares the claims of the Tanning industry vs health professionals. The Tanning Salons say they are safer than sun by using mostly UV-A rays which cause tanning and much less UV-B rays which cause sun burns. UV-A is safe they say. Doctors disagree. UV-B damages just the top of the skin but UV-A goes down deep and can cause damage that will last for a lifetime. Including cell injury that causes wrinkles, tumors and cancer.
And despite Industry safety claims, a study of teenagers in Sweden found that 44% of the participants reported a sunburn from a visit to the tanning bed. 23% of the sunbed users reported skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, or acne compared to only 16% of the students who did not use sunbeds.

According to the Consumerist, the FDA is considering banning teens from tanning beds; teenage girls and young women are the largest users of tanning salons.

Bottom Line - Warning Signs of Skin Cancer

Early detection offers your best chance of surviving skin cancer. Here are some signs to look for:

•A skin abnormality that increases in size and appears multicolored, pink, red, black, brown, tan, pearly, translucent, or tan.

•A mole that changes color, textures, grows, becomes irregular in shape, or that is bigger than a pencil eraser.

•A spot or growth that continually itches, hurts, becomes crusty, scabs, or bleeds.

•An open sore that does not heal after 4 weeks or one that heals and reopens.

Regular skin self-exams could save an estimated 4,500 lives annually. Anytime you are concerned about a growth or spot on your skin, it is best to seek the advice of your physician.

Sunscreen is bad?

“Even if you've been fishing for 3 hours and haven't gotten anything except poison ivy and sunburn, you're still better off than the worm”

Is there nothing safe in this world? A recent story on aolnews.com reports on the dangers of Sunscreen. Personally I use a lot of high SPF sunscreen because I burn quickly. But while sunscreen is protecting us from sunburn it may increase the risk for skin cancer.

Claim #1 - very few sunscreens (39 out of 500) block UV-A rays which penetrate the epidermis and damages living skin cells. Sunscreen does stop the UV-B rays which causes sunburn so we think all is well and stay out in the sun all day; not burning but damaging the lower skin layers. See my posting on Sunburn for more details.

Claim #2 - many sunscreens contain vitamin A for skin rejuvenation. However vitamin A may also stimulate tumor and cancer growth.

Claim #3 - Sunscreens may contain the hormone-disrupting chemical oxybenzone, which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream.

Claim #4 - you can protect yourself from claim #3 by switching away from chemical sunscreens that enter the skin, to mineral based ones that sit atop the skin and reflect light. However there is a possible health risk here too. The new trend in titanium dioxide sunscreen is nano-sizing the particles but this raises the risk the metal will be absorbed through the skin.

Claim #5 - The SPF values listed are exaggerated. It's like a bidding war - the lotion with the highest SPF wins. The FDA has asked for a cap at SPF 50 because beyond that the numbers are meaningless. But there are products with SPF 80, 90 and 100 being sold.

Claim #6 - most people apply only 1/4 of the "recommended" amount of sunscreen and so get at best 1/4 of the rated protection (which is itself exaggerated).

Bottom Line

The ideal sunscreen should completely block the UV rays that cause sunburn, immune suppression and damaging free radicals. It should remain effective on the skin for several hours and not form harmful ingredients when degraded by UV light. Unfortunately no sunscreen in America satisfies all these criteria.

So is sunscreen all bad? No says the annual report of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which raised the concerns above. EWG believes the benefits of sunscreen out way the harm. But they want you to be aware of the side effects, choose your sunscreen wisely, and don't rely on it 100%. The best protection is still a hat, light clothing, and shade.

Sunburn

“Even if you've been fishing for 3 hours and haven't gotten anything except poison ivy and sunburn, you're still better off than the worm”

I’m not a summer person or a beach person because I do not tan easily. I burn.

Sunburn is caused by UV-radiation emitted by the sun. Since UV rays damage the DNA in skin cells, the body tries to defend itself by making the skin darker (i.e. tanning) to block or absorb the rays safely. UV related skin damage has been linked to skin cancer and doctors are seeing a cancer spike in tan-seeking youth.

Snow and light-colored sand reflect UV light and increase sunburn risk. In these situations, UV rays may reach exposed skin from both above and below. Even on cloudy days, UV radiation reaches the earth. [CDC] Injury can start within 30 minutes of exposure so always use an effective sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15. And don’t skimp on applying the sunscreen. Dermatologists prescribe the equivalent of a shot-glassful every single time you slather up-and a reslathering every two hours. Wear dark color clothes with a tight weave (ugh, heat!). Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect the eyes.

In an ironic twist, some recent research blames sunscreen for a rise in skin cancer. The argument goes like this: Sunscreen (SPF factor) blocks UV-B rays which cause sunburn and generate vitamin D in the body. Most sunscreens do not block UV-A rays which penetrate further and cause tanning and skin cancer and wrinkles. Hence many individuals, protected by sunscreen from burning, are staying out longer and overdosing on UV-A rays.

If, like me, you forget the sunscreen and get sunburned, here are some suggestions:

• take a cool (not cold) shower or bath immediately
• apply cool towels to the burn area for several hours to take away the heat
• symptoms usually start about 4 hours after sun exposure, worsen in 24-36 hours, and resolve in 3-5 days
• consume extra fluids for the next 2 or 3 days
• take ibuprofen, acetaminophen or (adults only) aspirin, if needed, to relieve the pain
• re-moisturize your skin with moisturizing cream, aloe, or 1% hydrocortisone cream (see Dr before using cream on children under age two).
• There is little you can do to stop skin from peeling after a sunburn-it is part of the healing process. Lotion may help relieve the itching.
• When you go out, cover the burned area with clothing so you don’t make it worse

When to visit a doctor for a sunburn:

• the skin blisters
• the pain is extreme or lasts more than two days
• your face swells
• the burn covers a large portion of the body (15%)
• you get a fever or chills
• you have a headache or feel faint
• you become dehydrated (dry eyes and mouth)
• your skin become infected

Bottom Line

Sunscreen is only a temporary protection from UVB rays. Most need to be reapplied every few hours and don’t skimp on the amount you use. Check the instructions.
Look for sunscreens with protection from UVA rays.