How Can I Make My Friend More Aware About Skin Cancer?

Published March 21, 2014

Question by Paige: How can I make my friend more aware about skin cancer?
I’ve lived at the beach my whole life, and I’ve had to deal with constant skin cancer warnings my entire life. Neither my friend or I are fair skinned, and she thinks that means she won’t get any harmful effects from being out in the sun without any protection for so long. I’ve had it engraved into my brain that even though you aren’t getting “burned”, you’re still receiving radiation from UV rays. She never wears sunscreen and only ever uses tanning sunscreen (da SPF be zurro ya’ll), and she’s already super self conscious about her skin, so that may be the only way to get to her. What are some effects of extended, harmful tanning you’ve experienced?

Not tanning beds. I don’t think she’s even seen one before haha.

Best answer:

Answer by ????????????????
Tell her to read this and look into the sources I have provided:

“BEAUTY FADES. DUMB IS FORVER” – Judge Judy.

There is NO such thing as a safe tan from the sun or sunbed! The ONLY safe way to tan is with a well-formulated self-tanner for your specific skin type.

FACT – Both indoor tanning and sun tanning cause sun damage!
FACT – Tanning bed damages your skin at a higher intensity of UV radiation than the already dangerous sun exposure.
FACT – Ultraviolet-A ray penetrates the dermis and deteriorates collagen and elastic fibers.
FACT – Ultraviolet-B ray penetrates the epidermis and induces inflammation.
FACT – Both UV-rays cause sun damage and significantly increases your risk of skin cancer.

Counter-arguments you may have against me:
1)Sun light synthesize vitamin D, which helps fight cancer.
Rebuttal: True! However, people can get vitamin D from diet or oral over-the-counter or prescription supplementation. Yes, vitamin D in food or oral supplement is absorbable through the intestines. There is no excuse to get it from UV. The risks outweigh the benefits any day.

2)UV light therapy is used to treat specific skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Rebuttal: True! However, phototherapy should ONLY supervised by a health care provider such as a board-certified dermatologist. The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends at-home UVB light bulb to treat psoriasis, not a sunbed. There is a major difference here: the light bulb gives you small controlled amount of UV whereas a tanning bed exposes your whole body, including the unaffected regions, to high levels of UV radiation. Even with at-home treatments, it is imperative to have check-ups with your physician for sun damage and skin cancer. The National When performed in a doctor’s practice, eczema or psoriasis clinic the UV intensity is controlled and minimal. Psoriasis Foundation DISAPPROVES people from using tanning bed to treat psoriasis. The National Eczema Association does not have a position on phototherapy, but proper skin care and some prescription products are considered first. There is no need to consider light therapy unless you have exhausted all of the other conservative and safer modalities.

3)I do not care. I will use it any way.
Rebuttal: This is not a counter-argument, technically. There is an old adage: to each their own.

Bottom Line: The research is CLEAR and the American Academy of Dermatology, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization all concur: indoor tanning and sunbathing are dangerous – PERIOD.

What do you think? Answer below!