Sun Effects The Skin Since 1980 s, that we have started hearing how bad the sunlight can be for the skin and it is surprising to see millions of people still lying on the beach every summer, or working out in the sun from days to days. In United States, more than 600, 000 cases of were been reported in 1999, most of them caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Can you believe that? Around 30, 000 of these cases will be the most dangerous kind of cancer, called melanoma, a kind of skin cancer which is directly related to exposure to the sun, and approximately 6, 500 people will die from it. These kinds of statistics should really make us a big impact of the dangers of the sunlight. Also, about one out of every six people will develop some form of skin cancer and more than 90 percent of those cases will be directly related to exposure to the sun. Part 2 Who is most likely to suffer from the most serious form of skin cancer? There are three major factors that raise a person’s risk of getting melanoma.
Firstly, there is a hereditary factor. Hereditary factors are factors we are born with- our general genetic makeup, such as our skin and hair color. In general, light-skinned, light-eyed people of northern European background are most likely to suffer from skin cancer. These people often have red or blond hair. In contrast, dark-haired Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics suffer less from this disease, and dark-skinned people are 50 times less likely than light-skinned people to get skin cancer.
Secondly, it is the environmental factor. Where we live seems to influence our chances of contracting the disease. Geography has the direct relationship with skin cancer. The further away, north or south, of the equator you are, the less likely you are to get skin cancer because the sunlight are not directly overhead, but instead hit the Earth at a softer angle. For example, someone who lives in southern Florida, where is fairly near the equator, is more likely to contract this disease than someone who lives in Alaska, where the sunlight are never directly overhead. This means that the rays take longer to reach the Earth, so the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere is able to stop more of the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet light.
One interesting topic I read recently that a comparison showed that Japanese who live in Hawaii are 88 times more likely to get skin cancer than Japanese living in Japan. That shows pretty clear a difference in geography does increase the risk of contracting skin cancer. So far we have one hereditary and one environmental factor. The third factor is a behavioral factor… the history of the person… the amount of exposure to the sun that the person has had from birth.
In general, we can say that getting sunburned frequently and severely early in our lives can have negative consequences later on. This means that we need to ensure that parents are educated about the dangers of this problem, so that they can try to keep their children protected. Also, that means that certain kind of outdoor-jobs will put a person at greater risk. Part 3 Well, we ” ve described the problem and some of factors that contribute to the rise of skin of skin cancer, but just what can we do to improve this situation? Now, I will talk on one of the simplest way to protect us from the sun.
For one thing, probably the most important breakthrough in sun protection and the best advice that we can offer to the public is this: use sunscreen lotion. It is simple to use sunscreen. A SPF of at least 15 is recommended. SPF means “sun protection factor.” What does that SPF 15 mean? SPF 15 means that the skin takes 15 times longer to burn than with no lotion. If you get mild sunburn after 20 minutes under the sun, an SPF 15 allows you to remain in the sun about 300 minutes. The higher the number, the more the protection.
The next piece of advice is to put on the sunscreen lotion should be applied about 30 minutes before lengthy exposure to the sun because the skin takes that long to absorb the protective lotion. Finally, we have to pay attention to sensitive areas that are easy to miss when we put on sunscreen, such as our ears, neck, lips, nose, and head. These places on our face and head tend to be missed and, as they are hit by the sun very directly and they can be burn quickly. Conclusion While our skin has been suffering from the sun everyday, we should know the basic knowledge to protect ourselves. I am sure that you do not want see a single freckled when you look the minor; I am sure that you do not want to see the word “skin cancer” at your medical report.