Skin cancer in its deadliest form, melanoma, is on the rise and this relates to children of all ages.

1. Babies: Cases of pediatric melanoma have increased
100% in the last 20 years! (Michigan State Medical
Society)

Almost everytime I'm outdoors, I see babies or small
children in their strollers with their faces and heads
unprotected from the sun. And while I do notice more
small children than ever with hats on their heads, there
seem to be triple that amount without.

All it takes is a little awareness to keep a hat on and to
make sure the back of the stroller is to the sun. When
80% of the sun's damaging UV rays happens in the first
18 years of life, parents can give the gift of life twice ...
once giving birth, and the second protecting their skin.

2. Teens: 2.3 million teenagers (part of 30 million
Americans) use tanning beds. Ultraviolet rays are the
primary factor in developing skin cancer and are 15 times
greater in a tanning booth than outdoors. Up until now,
there have been very few warnings about health risks in
tanning salons.

Finally, legislators are trying to change that. 25 states
across the country want to restrict youth access to
indoor tanning facilities. In addition, if passed, this
legislation would require parental consent for anyone
under 18, along with the listing of potential health
consequences in these salons, and licensing by the
state.

This is a potentially life-saving public issue and any
help parents can give both at home with their children
and in their support of their representatives can only
help save lives.

3. Women ages 20-29: They're adults but they're still
somebody's children. Melanoma is now the second most
common cancer in this age group.

While it is best to get kids started early on the
habit of using sun protection, better late than never.
you know how to talk to your children best, but if
you see a tan on your daughter, you might ask how
she came to it...beach? tanning salon? Or, fake
tanning lotion which of course would be Choice No. 1
other than, perhaps, no tan at all.

4. African-American or Asian children: The risk for
melanoma isn't as high as with Caucasian children,
but it can be more deadly because a lesion or
irregular mole can't be seen as easily.

Talking with them at all ages about sun protection
and teaching them what to look for is and examining
them regularly is vital.

5. The perfect tan. For years, the perfect tan was looked
at as the way to look healthy, attractive, thinner (believe it
or not), and possibly even rich (if you have time to lounge
in the sun, you really must be well off). And the warmth
of the sun feels good. There's no doubting that.

The perfect tan is still sought today. Lines form around
some of the more popular tanning salons, grown women
included.

But now we have information we didn't have.
Irrefutable information. It's hard to ignore it
and worse, later on, if we're one of the unlucky
ones, what do we say to ourselves - and our
families? It's just a little extra effort for potentially
a longer and healthier life. Is the perfect tan worth
losing all that?



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Rosenberg

Despite the medical evidence available on skin cancer, our society insists on tanning beds and sunbathing without using the proper protection, as we can find many youth and teenagers spending long times in the harmful and burning sun rays that what makes them the suffer a lot from Skin Cancer. But the good news is that Skin Cancer is considered the easiest form of cancer and you can overcome it by spotting it in time.

There are two forms of Skin Cancer, melanomas and non-melanomas. Melanomas usually account for only four percent of diagnosed skin cancers, and it occurs in the epidermis, the skin's outer layer, usually appearing as a dark mole with uneven edges but they are considered to be the most deadly. Non-melanomas, on the other hand, are comprised of two different cell types, basal cells and squamous cells. Both of these cells are caused from sun exposure.

Skin cancer symptoms vary from individual to individual as to which chemical, or substance causes allergic reactions. The tumor in the epidermis, caused by skin cancer, is always clearly visible, making diagnosis slightly easier than in other cases of cancer. Skin Cancer patient may encounter Rough and scaly patches on the skin, A sore or spot that bleeds or become crusty, a small lump that is shiny, waxy, pale in color, and smooth in texture.

Skin protection is very important and easy; off course there is no excuse not to prevent it. You have to protect every member in your family even young babies, try to find shady areas when you take them outside to play and be sure they have the proper protection on.

Children and people with fair skin need to be using a higher protection factor than other people Skin protection doesn't mean to avoid sun forever, but you have to be reasonable and be careful while dealing with the sun. Sensitive areas like lips, nose, palms, and the back of your hand should be sufficiently protected while exposure to sun.

When out in the sun do not forget to protect your face. Applying lotion to the ears, nose and neck will help to protect those sensitive areas from the sun.

Sunscreen is recommended as a form of protection against the sun. Of course, your self-examinations should be in addition to an annual doctors exam; doctors trained eyes often spot skin cancer even quicker than you do. Surgery is the most common form of treatment and it is usually done as an outpatient procedure.

From time to time examine your head and face using one or two mirrors. Move your hair to examine your scalp. Have a look at your hands, including your nails. Check your elbows, arms and underarms. Look closely on your neck and chest.

Finally, if you notice or encounter any changes in your skin such as moles, lesions or sores, which do not heal, it is always better to consult your doctor immediately. If caught early, most skin cancer can be cured.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mahmoud_Awara

Here are nine more things you may not know about melanoma:

• The skin disease will affect about 54,500 persons in the United States of America, resulting in more than 8,500 deaths.

• It can affect adults of all ages, even young individuals (from mid-teens).

• The individuals most likely to develop melanoma are those with fair complexions, red or blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles and who tan poorly and sunburn easily. Strong family history of melanoma is also a risk factor. Melanoma hardly ever occurs in Africans and Afro-Americans because they never sunburn.

• Always have a high index of suspicion for changing moles, especially if the edge is irregular and the color/pigmentation changes in any mole.

• The Paradox: 'Sun exposure is associated with increased survival from melanoma'. Why? Because one of sun's best effects is to increase Vitamin D, which has anti-cancer effects.

• It may spread via the lymphatic vessels or bloodstream. Once widespread disease to lungs, liver, bone and brain is established, the chance of a cure is low.

• The back is the most common site for melanoma in men. In women, the back and the lower leg (from knee to ankle) are frequent sites.

• Once diagnosed with melanoma, symptoms such as weight loss, malaise, headaches, visual difficulty, or bone pain may mean that the disease has spread to other parts of the body.

• It may occur even in normal skins. You have to see your doctor immediately if a mole or moles become bigger than 6 millimeters, starts bleeding or itching, changes color or the border becomes irregular. Any of these changes may mean that the mole/moles have become malignant melanoma(s).



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maduka_Ogwueleka

There is nothing better than being outside on a nice sunny day. However, with the sun comes the possibility of getting some form of skin cancer but could grape seed extract help prevent that? The research has been done and the purpose of this article is to see if it could help prevent skin cancer!

Did you know that over exposure to the harmful rays the sun puts out lead to at least one million new cases of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers each year. Researchers wanted to know if taking something as simple as this healthy supplement could help lower the number of these cases. To help answer this question the researchers turned to mice.

The researchers took a number of mice and exposed them to ultraviolet-light. They then divided the mice up into two groups. One group was given the chemicals found in grape seed extract and the other group was not. The scientist found that the group of mice given the extract developed a significant lesser number of tumors than those mice that were not given it. So why does this work?

The chemicals found in grape seed extract have a high level of antioxidants. These antioxidants help combat the oxidative stress that UV light induces. Oxidative stress has been shown to lead to skin cancer and since the chemicals in the extract seem to counter that, grape seed extract could prevent skin cancer. It is important to talk about the side effects of it as well.

While the research is still being conducted, most people who have taken the report no side effects at all. Other people have noticed mild side effects such as minor stomach aches or a little cough. The good news is that research is being done everyday and it most of it looks very positive.

The chemicals found in this supplement just could help prevent skin cancer and the research is there to back it up. There are also studies that show grape seed extract can help prevent and fight many other health conditions as well. These range from preventing heart disease and even preventing cancer. We are also seeing grapes being used as the backbone of many skin-care products. Could grape seed extract, taken in a pill form, have the same effect on your skin? It looks that is could be another benefit as well! Stay tuned...there is still more research to come!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Pair