Self
Tanning Health Facts:
Aging
It is suprising to some that 90 percent
of wrinkling, sagging, rough skin texture or irregular
skin colorations seen when you look in the mirror is not
caused by aging. It's not aging that is
the #1 enemy of your skin as we get older – it's
exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
The
sun’s UV rays permanently damage your skin - that's
the fact. A tan is your body’s attempt to protect
itself. In the past tanning booths were thought to be
safer. The fact is - even though tanning booths have a higher
concentration of UVA which may truthfully take longer to damage
the skin --- unfortunately --- UVA penetrates deeper into
the skin. In summary, any dermatologist will tell
you - the one thing you can do to stay looking
young is - stay out of the sun.
This is one reason why self tanning is catching
on and being recommended by more doctors today than ever before.
Sunburns
A sunburn indicates damage to the
skin - vasodilation of blood vessels and swelling/redness
of skin tissues. The fact is - tanning is the
body’s natural attempt to protect itself
from damage. Many consider a tan to be protection from
the sun, unfortunately, a tan can be considered damaged skin.
Sunburn or not, the risk of skin cancers is deteremined by
the life-long accumulation of exposure to the sun. Other sun
damage includes irregular pigmentation and collagen damage
(loss of elasticity) - wrinkles. You can help prevent sunburns
by staying out of the sun, wearing lotion, or using sunless
tanning sets provided by Xen-Tan.
Sun's
UV Radiation
Ultraviolet radiation given
off by the sun is divided into categories by "wavelength":
• UVC - 100 to 290 nm
• UVB - 290 to 320 nm
• UVA - 320 to 400 nm
UVC radiation is by and large absorbed by the ozone layer of the
atmosphere and does not affect the skin. UVB radiation does affect
the epidermis (the outer layer of your skin) and, in fact, is the
primary source of sunburns. UVA radiation was originally thought
to be non-damaging to the skin. However, recent studies indicate
UVA penetrates deeper than the others and is a major contributor
of skin damage. The level of UVA is not easily filtered by things
such as glass and is more constant throughout the day and throughout
the year. Skin damage caused by UVA and UVB radiation include wrinkles,
lowered immunity against infection, aging, skin disorders and cancer.
Try to avoid UVA ratiation by staying in the sun for long periods
of time or use sunless
tanning products to help stay tan.
Sun Damage - Collagen Break Down
UV radiation causes collagen of your skin to break
down faster than it should due to normal aging affects. Damage to
collagen fibers results in the accumulation of abnormal elastin.
In the process of repairing this damage, the body often forms disorganized
collagen fibers known to some as solar scars. The repetition of
this imperfect rebuilding process eventurally produces wrinkles.
Sun
Damage - "Free Radicals"
UV radiation is one of the reasons your body produces
"free radicals". Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules
that have the affect of bonding destructively with other molecules
which can damage normal cell function and alter genetic material."Free
radical damage" results in wrinkles, collagen break down and
cancer.
Sun
Damage - Immune System Impairment
The body has a defense/immune system which includes
white blood cells called T lymphocytes and specialized skin cells
called Langerhans cells. When skin is exposed to sunlight, your
body's natural chemistry can suppress these immune factors.
The last line of defense of the immune system
is a process called apoptosis. Apoptosis (a.k.a. cell suicide)
is a process that kills severely damaged cells so they do
not have a chance to become cancerous. This cell-suicide is
seen when you peel after a sunburn. UV exposure is one of
several factors that can prevent this process - thus increasing
the possibiliy of damaged cells evolving into cancer. When
using self tanning products from Xen-Tan you
will not experience any peeling from sun burn.
Sun
Damage - Cancer
It is an indisputable fact - the sun can cause skin
cancer. Common skin cancers include melanoma, basal cell carcinoma,
and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is the most fightening and
deadly skin cancer because it metastasizes so easily - more so than
any other skin cancer. Exposure of the skin to the sun before the
age of 20 is thought to be the determining risk factor for melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer.
It is known to to spread locally and does not metastasize. Squamous
cell carcinoma is the second most common skin cancer. It has been
known to metastasize but not as readily as melanoma. The
risk of getting basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma
is determined by a person's lifetime exposure to UV radiation and
the person's natural pigment protection. |
