Sunbathing

Another Bad Habit…

Eftychia Papanikolaou
And I am feeling good…
 Some questions to answer…
 Why do people sunbathe??
 Why people should not sunbathe??

 Are sun beds - solariums safe??

 How we can protect ourselves??

 Facts
 Why do people sunbathe??
 To look more attractive
 According to scientists from Wake Forest
University in North Carolina sunbathing may
be an addiction
 Sunbathing can cause…
 Sunburns
 Premature aging (photoaging)
 Cataracts and other eye disorders
 Immune system damage
 Skin cancer
 What is in sunlight??
 The sun produces heat and light but it also
emits other types of electromagnetic radiation.
Fortunately, the Earth’s atmosphere filters out
much of the more dangerous solar radiation
(uvc). But some gets through (uva uvb).
 The higher the dose, the greater the likelihood
of damage.
 Sunburn
 Sunburn is a reaction to exposure to ultraviolet (UV)
radiation.
 The top layers of your skin release chemicals that cause
your blood vessels to expand and leak fluids, causing
inflammation, pain and redness. Redness will continue to
develop for the next 24 to 72 hours.
 Peeling
 It is the body's way of getting rid of damaged skin cells
that might develop into cancers.
 All types of sunburn, whether serious or mild, can cause
permanent and irreversible skin damage.
 Repeated sunburn will increase your risk of melanoma.
 Premature aging
Sun exposure also causes premature aging of the skin --
called photoaging, which is different than chronological
aging.
 People who sunbathe regularly show photoaging early in
life -- before 30 years of age. Chronologically-aged skin
shows changes after age 40 or more.
 Freckling, fine wrinkling,loss of skin elasticity and dilation
of capillaries are often seen early in the photoaging
process.
 Photoaged skin develops irregular pigmentation (liver
spots) in later years.
 Cataracts and other eye
disorders
 UV exposure is one of the risk factors in
the development of cataracts. Cornea
sunburn, growths on the outer surface of
the eye, and other eye diseases are also
known or suspected to be related to long-
term exposure to UV rays.
 Immune system damage
 The skin is part of the body's natural
defense system. Health care professionals
believe that UV radiation can alter immune
system functions. When UV radiation
suppresses immune responses, the body's
ability to fight certain diseases, including
skin cancer, is reduced.
 Cancer
 The three main types of skin
cancer are:
 basal cell carcinoma

 squamous cell carcinoma

 malignant melanoma
 Basal cell carcinoma
 Basal cell cancer or non-melanoma skin cancer, usually
appears as a small, fleshy bump or nodule.
 Although this type of cancer rarely spreads to other
parts of the body, it can extend below the skin to the
bone and cause considerable local damage.
 non-melanoma skin cancer places people at high risk for
developing additional skin cancers.
 Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer
found in Caucasians and accounts for more than 90
percent of all skin cancers in the United States.
Basal cell carcinoma
 Squamous cell carcinoma
 Squamous cell skin cancer (sometimes referred
to as non-melanoma carcinoma) may appear as
nodules, or as red, scaly patches of skin.
 Although generally more aggressive than basal
cell carcinoma, this cancer is highly treatable.
 According to the American Academy of
Dermatology more than 250,000 cases are
diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately
2,500 deaths.
Squamous cell carcinoma
 Melanoma

Melanoma or malignant melanoma or

cutaneous melanoma is a disease of the
skin in which cancer cells are found in the
melanocytes. Melanoma is the rarest, but
most virulent, form of skin cancer.

Melanoma most often appears on fair-

skinned men and women, but people with
other skin types can be affected.
melanoma
 Solarium - fashion to die for
 Using a solarium for even a small amount of time can
drastically increase your chances of developing skin
cancer. Solariums emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is
up to five times as strong as the midday sun.
 Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human
carcinogen, according to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
 Facts
 Over 380,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer each year – that’s over 1,000
people every day.
 Over 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
 Skin cancer costs the health system around $300 million annually, the highest cost of all
cancers.
 Cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers in the United States.
 More than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the US each
year.

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
 Melanoma represents only 4 percent of all skin cancers, but accounts for more than 75
percent of all skin cancer deaths.
 Although exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays is said to be the most important
factor in the cause of skin cancers, about 70 percent of American adults do not use sun-
protection measures.
 Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but skin damage from the sun begins at an early
age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood to prevent skin cancer later in life.
 Melanoma is more common than any non-skin cancer among women between 25 and
29 years old.
 One person dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 62
minutes).
 Melanoma is the sixth most common cancer for males and seventh
most common for females.
 Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young
adults 15-29 years old.
 A person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or
more sunburns at any age
Protection and prevention
Limit Time in Wear
the Midday Sun Sunglasses

Seek Shade Use Sunscreen

Avoid Tanning
Cover Up
Parlors

Wear a Hat
 To sum up
Constant sunbathing can cause many
serious health problems and can lead
to cancer so we must avoid it.
There are many ways to protect
ourselves from the sunlight so there is
no excuse.
Always use sunscreen!!!!!!!!
There is a simple rule to remember!!!!!
The more your skin is exposed to UV
radiation the greater your risk of skin
cancer – no matter what skin type you
have.
 Be Sun wise…

All people love the sun but the

clever ones avoid him…
 Resources
 American Academy of Dermatology.
http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamph
lets/sun_sun.html
 National Cancer Institute.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/skin
 Wikipedia. Skin cancer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_cancer