Almost every day, more evidence is found that indoor tanning is a serious health concern. Indoor tanning has been linked to melanoma and other forms of skin cancer at alarming rates. Health experts have recommended to the FDA an indoor tanning ban for minors, and several states have already enacted restrictions for use of tanning beds.

Additionally, a recent study published by the U.S. House of Representatives have found that tanning salon companies are often dishonest to their clients about the long-term health risks of using tanning beds. Almost 90% of the companies involved in the studies told “secret shoppers” that there were no health risks associated with indoor tanning.

The results are particularly frightening in light of recent research that indicates that only four sessions in a tanning bed can increase one’s risk of developing cancer by 15%. Tanning beds expose the skin to UVA rays that are up to 15 times more intense than the sun’s.

Skin damage brought on by tanning, whether indoors or outdoors, can have significant consequences that go beyond wrinkles. Dr. Zimmet recommends using sunscreen any time you’ll be exposed to harmful UV rays and avoiding indoor tanning altogether. If you have damaged skin, spots with irregular pigmentation, or abnormal moles, contact Zimmet Vein & Dermatology today.

We’ve written before about the importance of protecting yourself from skin damage. Wearing sunscreen, choosing UV-protecting clothing, and staying out of the sun during peak hours will keep your skin as healthy as possible. Likewise, keeping track of moles–particularly those that are asymmetrical, multi-colored, and evolving–is a great technique to help prevent late melanoma diagnoses.

However, just because you do regular mole self-examinations doesn’t mean you should stop seeing your dermatologist. A study recently released by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center indicates that physicians are more likely to find malignant moles that patients overlook, and find them earlier, which means the patient has a better chance of survival. The study shows that physician-found melanomas were up to 40% thinner than their patient-found counterparts, owing largely to the fact that dermatologists are trained to recognize smaller changes and abnormalities.

Of course, the study’s results should not discourage patients from performing regular, detailed self-examinations. Rather, patients should prioritize regular visits to the dermatologists and use self-exams to identify any moles that look abnormal. If you do find a mole that looks irregular, contact your dermatologist immediately: early diagnosis and treatment prevent skin cancer from becoming invasive.

Photo Source: Free Image Works

Did you know that the incidence of  invasive skin cancer in the US is rising by 4%- 6% each year? Will you be among the over 68,000 Americans that will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2011, and that 1 in 58 Americans will develop melanoma over their lifetime? The Journal of Clinical Oncology (January 20, 2011 issue) recently published a study which revealed a significant reduction in the risk of invasive melanoma with regular sunscreen use.

The study randomly selected and followed a total of 1621 people between the ages of 25 and 75 years over a 14 year period. The study assigned participants to “apply daily or discretionary sunscreen to both heads and arms in combination with 30 mg beta carotene or a placebo supplement. Ten years after trial cessation, 11 new primary melanomas had been identified in the daily sunscreen group, and 22 had been identified in the discretionary group, which represented a reduction of the observed rate in those randomly assigned to daily sunscreen use.”