Tanning – May Be the Single Worst Thing You Can Do for Your Health Sunscreen is Not Enough

Did you ever think about what is really happening when you get a suntan? If you have realized it – and anyone who has gone from a tan to a burn knows this instinctively – you are burning the outer layers of your dermis. We don’t touch open flames, stove tops or ovens – why then would we put ourselves in danger by exposing our skin to the sun? Sure, the pain isn’t immediate so we don’t have that gut primal instinct to run away. But, we can have the intellectual insight to stay away and protect ourselves.

If just using deductive reasoning isn’t a sufficient deterrent, then try these facts and note your reaction:

• UV radiation (yes -radiation, like an xray) damages DNA.
• UV radiation impairs skin function.
• UV radiation leads to premature skin aging and causes wrinkles, dryness, sagging and thinning.
• UV radiation causes immune suppression.
• UV radiation can result in skin cancer and skin cancer can be deadly.
• Because of the meltdown of the earth’s ozone layer, skin cancer rates are continuing to climb even though more of us are using sunscreen.
• Sunscreen: as the name implies, offers a “screen” not a total block. So if the sun is up, even on a cloudy day, you are receiving UV radiation.
• Over the last 40 years, melanoma cases increased 800% for women and 400% for men. Skin cancer accounts for over 40% of the cancers in the United States.

These facts are sobering – especially combined with the most recent scientific studies concluding that even moderate sun exposure that comes with day-to-day living (like walking to your car or shopping on a sunny day) endangers the average skin. Four 30-minute exposures to sun during the week is equivalent to sitting outside at the beach in the sun for two hours!

 

To help prevent sun damage, a nutrient that has been around for some years, but is little known, is the extract of a fern called polypodiumleucotomos. Taken in oral form, this extract has been shown to provide uniform, cellular, total body surface protection from the damaging rays of the sun. It works even on light-skinned people who tend to burn or develop skin problems most easily. The studies done with subjects taking the fern extract show a reduction of DNA skin damage of the type associated with melanoma. The research shows that Polypodiumleucotomos:

• Inhibits free radicals normally seen with sun exposure and damage
• Prevents DNA damage and the resultant skin decomposition
• Acts as an anti-inflammatory agent
• Prevents UV rays from suppressing immune function that leads to cellular changes and, potentially, skin cancer.

We recommend that Polypodiumleucotomos be used in conjunction with the appropriate sunscreen. We have several sunscreens we recommend, depending on skin type. These products are even safe for children, unlike most commercial products. To learn more about how to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and to learn how existing sun damage can be repaired, give our office a call.