The alarming answer to the question of whether lip gloss could increase your chances of developing cancer seems to be "yes." This is important news for gloss addicts everywhere, especially in light of the public's increased awareness of skin cancer and the necessary precautions that must be taken in order to avoid it. Basically, if you're not wearing a balm with sun protection underneath your lip gloss, you're not just being negligent - you could actually be attracting harmful ultraviolet rays to your lips.

According to dermatologist Dr. Christine Brown, cited in the Washington Post, "What most people don't realize is they're actually increasing light penetration through the lip surface by applying something clear and shiny to them." Whether or not densely pigmented glosses in darker shades are safer than clear or sheer glosses is debatable, but when it comes to your health, it's best not to take any chances; stay safe and wear an SPF on your lips! Dr. Brown recommends a lip protectant with an SPF of 30 or higher if you're planning to be exposed to the sun for more than 20 minutes. Be aware that many popular balms and glosses that contain sun protection have SPF's of 20 or lower - a good start, perhaps, but not enough to provide the necessary protection. It can be a bit challenging to find lip care with an SPF of 30 or above, but there are options available if you look carefully, ranging from high-end department store products to far less expensive balms available at any drugstore.

Remember, the key to sun safety is to wear lip protection with an SPF of at least 30 on your lips at all times when you leave the house. With any luck, savvy companies will start developing pretty glosses with higher levels of sun protection, but until then, take care to slap on a coat of balm underneath your lip color and reapply frequently throughout the day.

You should also adopt the habit of regularly checking your lips for possible cancer warning signs, just as you monitor your moles and the rest of your skin. Warning signs of lip cancer may include changes to the color of your lips, persistent peeling or flaking of a particular spot on your lip, a sore on the lip that refuses to heal, and any sort of unexplained bleeding, pain or numbness on your lips or mouth. Protect yourself and pay attention to your body! It could save your life.



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

Playing in the sun is a fun outdoor activity for children. But, the sun can be dangerous. Recent medical research shows it is important to protect children from overexposure to the sun. Skin
damage is cumulative - adds up over a lifetime - and starts with that first sun exposure.It is estimated that 80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. Sun protection with regular use of sunblock with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or higher during the first 18 years of life can lower the risk of certain skin cancers by 78%.
The two types of ultraviolet sunlight that can damage the skin are Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. UVA rays are the slow-tanning rays that penetrate deep into the skin and age the skin prematurely. UVB rays cause burning of the skin and are considered the major cause of skin cancer. Young children are dependent on adults to take the appropriate precautions in providing sun protection. As a parent of a young child, there are several precautions you can take to help protect children from future health problems related to the sun.
Follow these simple guidelines to help minimize the risks of excessive sun exposure.

• Keep children out of the midday sun from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (daylight savings time 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).

This is the time when the sun's rays are the strongest. If outside activities are held between these times, play in a shaded area. Sit or play in the shade, especially when your shadow is shorter than you are tall.

• Use a sunscreen.

Before your child goes outside, apply a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher. The protective ability of sunscreen is rated by SPF - the higher the SPF, the stronger the protection. SPF numbers indicate the length of time one can spend in the sun without risk of burning. When using an SPF 15 sunscreen, a fair-skinned person who normally sunburns in 20 minutes of midday sun exposure may tolerate 15 times 20 minutes (300 minutes) without burning. Apply as much sunscreen as you would a lotion for dry skin. Spread it evenly over all uncovered skin, including ears and lips, but avoiding eyelids. Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or excessive sweating. Teach children to use a sunscreen regularly, like they use a toothbrush and toothpaste.

• Wear a hat. Help your child find a hat with a wide-brim that protects the eyes, ears, face and back of the neck. Have your child shop with you to find a hat the child will enjoy wearing.

• Wear sunglasses. Sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays greatly reduce sun exposure, protecting the eyes and eyelids.

• Wear protective clothing. Loose-fitting clothes that are tightly woven are a good choice.
• Be aware of ground surfaces. Ground surfaces such as sand, cement and white painted surfaces reflect the sun's rays. In the water, ultraviolet light penetrates three feet deep. Summertime is not the only time of the year children need to be protected from the sun. Snow reflects from 80 to 90 percent of the sun's rays. The sun's damaging effects are increased by reflection from water, white sand, and snow.

• Practice the "shadow rule." Look for shade when your shadow is shorter then you are tall.
Teach children the ABC's for Fun in the Sun.

Avoid sunburn. It may take only 15 minutes of midday summer sun to burn a fair-skinned person. These include children who are fair-skinned, with light, red, or light-brown hair; blue, green or gray eyes. Since parents and child-care workers become role models to children, they need to set an example and follow the sun protection guidelines.



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

Skin cancer is more prevalent today than ever before. Whether this is because we are simply more aware of the disease or that our changes in lifestyle are the cause of this increase are not completely clear. However, it is clear that many people still ignore advice on how to prevent skin cancer. This article will cover the primary reasons why people develop the disease and prevention of skin cancer tips.

People develop cancer through a combination of their genetic makeup and exposure to some environmental condition. They may be genetically predisposed to not react to mutating cells by destroying them. They may have a profile that makes them more susceptible to the environmental conditions.

In the case of skin cancer, the environmental condition that is thought to cause the disease is ultraviolet radiation. In most cases this ultraviolet radiation comes from the Sun. So it is very hard to avoid being exposed to this radiation. All you can really do is limit your exposure it.

So prevention of skin cancer can work on two levels. Find out if you are genetically predisposed to be more susceptible to ultraviolet radiation skin damage. Limit your exposure to the main cause of ultraviolet radiation.

If you have a family history of skin cancer then this means you are more susceptible. If you have fair skin and burn rather than tan in the sun then you are more susceptible to developing skin cancer. The same applies if you have fair hair and light colored eyes. All these signs indicate that you have less melanin in the body than a person with darker tones. Melanin makes the skin tan in sunlight and to a limited extent prevents the skin from burning.

If you fit into any of these categories then you should be more cautious about your exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This could be direct sunlight or using devices like sun beds. Indeed, if you have a family history of skin cancer then you shouldn't use sun beds and take extra precautions when in the sun. If you burn easily in the sun, make sure it doesn't happen. Protect your skin.

You should still take precautions when in the sun, even if you don't think you are predisposed to developing skin cancer. The best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up when in the sun. Wear a hat, wear a long sleeved shirt, wear sunglasses and cover the exposed parts of your body with a good sunscreen. The sunscreen should be a 30+ sun protection factor. You should apply it before you are exposed to sunlight rather than when you are in the sun.

Above all, keep this advice in mind. Many problems occur because people think it won't happen to them. This is especially the case when you are younger and the temptation to spend time in the sun is greater, but the affects of ultraviolet radiation build up over time. In later years you may develop skin cancer because you didn't apply sunscreen when you were younger.



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