Part 1
THE LARGEST organ of the body, your skin is affected by one of the fastest growing categories of cancer (in the US) ? skin cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

As skin care professionals, our responsibility is to educate our clients on ways to identify and prevent skin cancer.

Inadequate

When UV rays bombard the skin, they damage the cell?s genetic material. Much of this structural damage is repaired, but when the repair mechanism is damaged or inadequate, the cells may begin to grow uncontrollably and cause a malignant tumor.

Ultraviolet light is directly responsible for two types of skin cancer ? basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Particularly severe sunburns in childhood are thought to be key risk factors. Overexposure to sunlight, and a history of blistering sunburns, are associated with the deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.

There are three types of radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight: UVA, UVB and UVC. These rays are categorized by their wavelength, which also determines how deeply the rays penetrate the skin.

UVA ? called the ?aging? ray ? is the longest ultraviolet ray that penetrates down to the dermis. Most UVA rays pass through the ozone layer of the atmosphere to bombard the earth and your skin. UVB, called the ?burning? ray, is the middle-length ray, mostly filtered by the ozone layer. However, those that do reach the earth can penetrate the epidermis and permanently injure developing cells.

While the world?s scientific experts debate the issue of ozone layer depletion, one thing remains clear: the depletion of the ozone layer over the past two decades has caused a 10-percent increase in the UVB rays reaching the earth?s surface.

UVC rays are the shortest rays in the spectrum, and they are totally absorbed by the ozone layer and do not injure the skin. However, as the ozone layer depletes, we will learn more about the effects of UVC.

Irreversible

Unfortunately, this increase in UVB, though just one part of the sun?s damaging ultraviolet spectrum, is known to be the cause of skin damage we are all too familiar with ? sunburns and increased potential for skin cancer.

The direct effects of the increased UVB exposure, which are cumulative and possibly irreversible, include increased incidence of all skin cancer types, damage to the eyes ? causing nearsightedness and cataracts, damage to the lymphocytes ? leading to a reduction in the body?s natural defense against infection, and the attack of free radicals which can cause damage and water loss to all cells.

The good news is high levels of topically applied Vitamin C can help reverse much of the sun damage seen on the skin.

Important steps

What can one do to protect family, friends and self from the harmful effects of sun exposure?

It is, first and foremost, important to reduce sun exposure, especially during the high-intensity periods of the day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. It is essential to get into the habit of using sunscreen daily, year-round, and to take oral antioxidants on a daily basis.

These are vital in preventing further sun damage and possibly skin cancer. A mild or moderate sunburn is painful and a severe sunburn can be life-threatening. Moreover, repeated sunburns, even if only mild, may come back to haunt the sun worshipper years later, in the form of skin cancer.

A sunburn is not something to be taken lightly, nor is tanning. Tanning is your body?s defense mechanism. There is nothing pretty about a suntan or sunburn.

Second, as the majority of sun damage accumulates before the age of 18, parents should be educated on the importance of daily sunscreen application on infants and small children.

Applying sunscreen, and dressing children in hats and protective clothing as well as educating them as they get older, will help in encouraging a healthy sun protection habit.