Taking care of skin year around reduces the risk of skin cancer

Staff

Published Tuesday, June 28, 2005

By Linda Kane, Tribune staff writer

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. One in five people will develop skin cancer sometime in his or her life.

"You don't necessarily have to spend a lot of time in the sun" to develop it, said Dr. Brian Zogg, a dermatologist in Albert Lea.

Exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light can occur in a short walk to church, picking out a few weeds from the garden or during a full day of lounging on the beach.

One of the first signs of skin damage is a tan. A suntan is the result of injury to the top layer of skin. A tan occurs after ultraviolet light enters the skin and accelerates the production of melanin. Extra melanin is produced to protect deeper layers of skin while creating a darker color or "tan."

A tan is actually the body's way of blocking ultraviolet rays to prevent further injury to the skin.

Another common indication of skin damage is a sunburn.

Though the symptoms of a sunburn - peeling, redness or pain - fade after a few days, the damage to the skin remains.

Dr. Zogg described a person's skin using this analogy: "It's almost like our skin is a cup that can only hold so much sunshine."

Everyone's cup is a different size, some are able to hold more sunshine than others. But, when that cup becomes full and can no longer hold sunshine or other harmful rays, that's when skin cancer can develop.

There are simple ways to protect yourself, Zogg said.

When it comes to sunscreen, it's next to impossible to use enough, he said.

"We do prefer people to use sunscreen every day of the year, no matter what their plans are," Zogg said.

Zogg recommends a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. The skin can also be protected by clothing, hats with brims or umbrellas.

"There's a lot of things you can do without rubbing on sunscreen," he said. Sitting in the shade is a good example.

To get that popular bronzed look, Zogg recommends self-tanners.

"Self-tanners as far as we know are safe," he said. "As far as we know, that's the only safe tan."

Smoking is also associated with skin cancer and skin damage. It advances the wrinkling process and decreases the body's ability to fight damage, Zogg said.

"You don't seem to get teen-agers to think about skin cancer. People in their teen-age years think they're indestructible. I've had more luck with talking to teen-agers about wrinkles," he said.

He described tanning beds, popular with teens, as wrinkling machines that can cause skin cancer.

"We know tanning beds increase your chances of developing skin cancer," he said. "You're filling up your cup."

And that equals one more step toward skin cancer.

Compare the top side of your forearm to the bottom. The top tends to be darker. "That's sun damage versus no sun damage," Zogg said.

Another indicator of skin damage can come in the shape of moles. Though usually harmless, it's especially important to become familiar with moles because in some cases they can become cancerous. Monitoring moles and other pigmented patches of skin, such as freckles or liver spots is important in reducing the risk of skin cancer.

Zogg recommends people to get familiar with their skin and their pattern of moles, freckles and beauty marks. Watch for changes in the number, size, shape and color.

Zogg said any irregularity, like an unusual pimple or bump, that's been around for a month or longer needs to be seen by a physician.

Depending on its stage, skin cancer can typically be cut out, Zogg said. If caught early, the cure rate is nearly 100 percent.

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