Lets Talk about' Tanning

1
Lets Talk about. Tanning

• Tanning Beds, the ol Fashioned Way, Pills, and
  More!

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service are open to all people without
regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion,
age, or national origin. The Texas AM University
System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the
County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
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Has Anyone in Your Family Had Cancer?

• How did you feel?
• How did your family feel?
• What if you get sick?
• How would your family feel?
• Think about how much money it would cost.

3
Youre Getting Older

• More responsibilities
• more decisions
• more peer pressure
• Your skin shouldnt be older than you are!
  Tanning causes
• aging
• wrinkles
• loss of skin elasticity
• dark patches called "age spots" or "liver spots"
• cancer

4
Tanning Beds Cause Cancer

• Using a tanning bed increases your risk of two of
  the most common forms of skin cancer.
• Youre 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous
  cell carcinoma than people who do not use tanning
  beds.
• Youre 1.5 times more likely to develop basal
  cell carcinoma compared to those who do not use
  the devices, and you can even get melanoma, a
  deadlier form of skin cancer.

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Squamos Cell Carcinoma

• Accounts for about 2 out of 10 skin cancers
• Usually appears on the body in places such as
• Face
• Ear
• Neck
• Lips
• Backs of the hands
• Scars or skin ulcers elsewhere on the body
• Genital area
• More likely to invade tissues beneath the skin,
  and slightly more likely to spread to lymph nodes
  or distant parts of the body.

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Basal Cell Carcinoma

• About 3 out of 4 skin cancers are basal cell
  carcinomas.
• Usually appears on
• Head
• Neck
• Being seen in younger people
• Spending more time in the sun with their skin
  exposed
• Grows slowly
• If it is not treated
• Grows into nearby areas
• Invades the bone or other tissues beneath the
  skin
• After treatment
• Can come back within 5 years anywhere on skin

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Melanomas

• Often a more deadly form of skin cancer
• Often appears on the trunk of fair-skinned men
  and on the lower legs of fair-skinned women.
  Other areas include
• hands,
• soles of the feet, and
• under the nails.
• Much more likely to spread to other parts of the
  body.
• Having darkly pigmented skin lowers your risk,
  but it is not a guarantee that you will not
  develop melanoma.

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Lets Think Ahead

• The good news is that there is a lot you can do
  to protect yourself from skin cancer.
• You know what causes skin cancer
• Too much exposure to the suns ultraviolet rays
• Artificial sources, such as tanning beds

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Limit Your Exposure to UV, and Limit Your
Chances for Cancer

• Cover up.
• Choose shirts and pants to protect as much skin
  as possible.
• Use sunscreen.
• Choose a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor
  (SPF) of 15 or higher.
• Wear a hat.
• Choose a hat that shades the face, neck, and
  ears.
• Wear sunglasses.
• Protect your eyes with sunglasses that block UV
  rays.
• Limit sun exposure.
• Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  when the UV rays are strongest.

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Cover It Up!

• Wear clothing to protect as much skin as
  possible.
• Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, or long skirts
  are the most protective.
• Dark colors provide more protection than light
  colors.
• Prevents more UV rays from reaching your skin.
• A tightly woven fabric provides greater
  protection than loosely woven clothing.
• If you can see light through a fabric, UV rays
  can get through, too.
• Dry fabric is generally more protective than wet
  fabric.

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Buying Sunscreen

• SPF of at least 15
• Sunscreen does not provide total protection.
• Reflective surfaces like water, snow, and sand
  can actually cause exposure to more UV rays. For
  high-glare situations, a higher SPF sunscreen or
  zinc oxide may be used on your nose and lips.
• Read the label before you buy.
• Buy "broad-spectrum"
• It protects against UVA and UVB radiation.

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Apply Sunscreen Properly

• Apply sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before going
  outside.
• About one ounce of sunscreen should be used to
  cover the arms, legs, neck, and face.
• Reapply about every 2 hours.
• If swimming or sweating, reapply more often.
• Remember that sunscreen usually rubs off when you
  towel yourself dry.
• Waterproof sunscreen needs to reapplied at least
  every 80 minutes, even when swimming or sweating.
  
• Water-resistant sunscreen needs to reapplied
  every 40 minutes.
• Sunscreen products expire within 2 to 3 years
  throw away old sunscreen!
• Use lip balm with an SPF 15 or higher.

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Wear a Hat

• A hat with at least a three- to four-inch brim.
• Protects areas often exposed to the sun
• Neck
• Ears
• Eyes
• Forehead
• Nose
• Scalp
• A shade cap, which looks like a baseball cap with
  about 7 inches of material draping down the sides
  and back, is also good.
• A baseball cap provides some protection for the
  front and top of the head but not the back of the
  neck or the ears, where skin cancers commonly
  develop.
• Be sure to use sunscreen on those areas.

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Wear Sunglasses

• Buy sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of
  UVA and UVB radiation. Read the label!
• "UV absorption up to 400 nm blocks 100 of UV
  rays.
• Special purpose" or "Meets ANSI UV
  Requirements blocks 99 of UV rays
• Cosmetic blocks about 70 of UV rays
• If there is no label, don't buy the sunglasses!
• And remember
• Darker glasses are not necessarily better because
  UV protection comes from an invisible chemical
  applied to the lenses, not from the color or
  darkness of the lenses.
• Look for an ANSI label.
• Large-framed wraparound sunglasses
• protect your eyes from all angles.

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Limit Sun Exposure

• Ultraviolet rays are most intense during midday
• 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• If you are unsure about the sun's strength, take
  the shadow test if your shadow is shorter than
  you, the sun's rays are very intense.
• Plan activities out of the sun during these
  times.
• If you must be outdoors, protect your skin.
• UV radiation also can pass through clouds and
  water, so don't assume you're safe from UV
  radiation if its overcast or if you're in the
  water and feeling cool.
• Also, be especially careful on the beach and in
  the snow because sand, water, and snow reflect
  sunlight and increase the amount of UV radiation
  you receive.

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If You REALLY Need a Tan,Do Safe Sunless Tanning

• Bronzers
• Made from color additives
• Stain the skin when applied and can be washed off
  with soap and water
• Chemicals in bronzers may react differently on
  various areas of your body, producing a tan of
  many shades.
• Extenders
• Are cosmetics
• When applied to the skin, interact with protein
  on the surface of the skin to produce color
• Wears off after a few days
• Bronzers and Extenders do not offer protection
  from the damaging effects of UV radiation.

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Unsafe Sunless Tanning

• Tanning pills"
• Contain color additives similar to what gives
  carrots their orange color. The additives are
  distributed throughout the body, especially the
  skin, making it orange.
• Are unsafe because the main ingredient can
  deposit in the eyes as crystals, which may cause
  injury and impaired vision.
• Tanning accelerators
• Are ineffective and also may be dangerous.
• Marketers promote these products as substances
  that stimulate the body's own tanning process.

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Remember

• Anyone can get a sunburn.
• Even people with darker skin
• No tan is healthy.
• Every burn or tan increases your risk for skin
  cancer in the future.

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Think Ahead to Your Future What if you get skin
cancer?

• How will your parents feel?
• What if youre married?
• What will your husband or wife do?
• What if you have kids?
• Be smart!
• Dont be stupid!

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Any Questions?
Written by Courtney J. Schoessow, MPH April 2005