Should Skin Care Treatment for Skin Cancer Include Sun Exposure?

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Should Skin Care Treatment for Skin Cancer Include Sun Exposure?

Published on: January 31st, 2008 06:38pm by: sharling

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The relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer has always been controversial: sun exposure is the major source of Vitamin D, and Vitamin D prevents the formation of tumors. Nevertheless, we’ve been so scared of getting cancer, we slather on sunscreens whenever we leave the house and we even buy cosmetics and skin care treatment products with sunscreen in the ingredients. However, a new study has confirmed what many have long suspected - the benefits of sun exposure may actually outweigh the risks. While you don’t want to get burned, time in the sun should be part of your daily natural skin care treatment routine. And skin cancer isn’t the only type of cancer the sun may help prevent.

There are several types of skin cancer. You’ve probably heard of ‘basal cell cancer’, ‘squamous cell cancer’ and ‘melanoma.’ Basal cells are the small round cells at the base of the epidermis, the outer layer of the skin. Squamous cells are flat – they look like fish scales under a microscope – and cover almost all internal and external surfaces in the body, including the skin. Melanoma affects the melanocytes, the body’s pigment-producing cells.

Although there are other types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most dangerous. Death from melanoma is about 10 times that of the other skin cancer types. Because of this, the study, conducted by U.S. and Norwegian researchers and published in the January 7th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused primarily on melanoma.

What did they find? In a nutshell: Those who live in sunnier, southern latitudes, and have higher vitamin D levels – which is almost entirely produced by sun exposure - are less likely to die from cancer than people in northern latitudes.

So, if sunlight is not the culprit, why is there an increase in skin cancer? In fact, it appears that no one really knows. A study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings stated that the incidence of melanoma increased 2.8 fold from 1981 to 2002, but also said this increase was coincident with an increased tendency to biopsy suspect tissue and, consequently, a higher number of cases being diagnosed.

The Mayo Clinic study also suggested the increase may be due to UV exposure from sources other than the sun - tanning beds and sunlamps, for example – and even mentioned sunscreen as a subject of investigation.

Given that the incidence of eczema and other skin diseases has increased as the world has become more industrialized and our air, water, food, household and even skin care treatment products have been inundated with harmful chemicals, it is possible that chemicals, rather than the sun, may be at least partly to blame.

How can you guard against skin cancer? While no one can really say for sure, you can start with the following:

* Switch from chemical skin care treatment products to those with natural ingredients – including sunscreen.

* Get enough sun exposure to produce adequate amounts of Vitamin D without getting burned. It will require a little research to find out how much is enough in your geographic area but twenty minutes should be an absolute minimum, and that won’t burn anyone.

* Reduce exposure to UV rays that may be harmful – tanning beds, sunlamps, and so on.

* Use a shielding lotion to guard against environmental pollutants, and the chemicals in our household cleansers and skin care treatment products. A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a protective layer that keeps out chemicals. Wear it under sunscreen, under cosmetics and as a base under other skin care treatment products.
There’s a lot more to know about cancer and the sun, and it’s worth researching. Some experts say that Vitamin D – for which the sun is the primary source - can help prevent at least 16 different types of cancer and can minimize your risk by as much as 60%. It is also known to be beneficial for heart disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis.

Scheduling a little sunlight into your daily skin care treatment routine may help prevent skin cancer, and could improve your overall health. Follow the few simple steps above for safe sun exposure, and don’t forget the shielding lotion!