A healthy, golden glow makes you feel vibrant and even a little sexy during in the summer months. Ardent sun lovers are now learning that they’ll pay for these ‘feel good’ feelings in later years though. Wrinkled, leathery skin, premature ageing and the ever-present risk of skin cancer are just some of the dangers of chronic sun exposure.
Dr Chantelle Doman, a dermatologist from Pretoria, explains that sunlight consists of UVA, UVB and UVC rays. The ozone layer blocks UVC but UVA and UVB rays damage the skin by releasing free radicals that damage DNA. “Sun exposure is a risk factor for skin cancer,” explains Dr Doman. “Melanoma, when cancer occurs in a mole, is often detected late because the mole does not cause any symptoms until a late stage. There is an association between the amount of sunburn episodes in childhood and melanoma.” Melanoma spreads quickly and can be fatal. Other types of skin cancers, as well pigmentation and ageing, are also caused by chronic sun exposure.
Take heart - you don’t have to kiss your tan good-bye forever. There are many ‘sunless’ tanning products on the market which allow for an effective, good looking tan that’s safe. “Sunless tanning is better than tanning in the sun,” says Dr Doman. “Most self-tans affect the protein in the skin, not melanin producing cells, associated with skin cancer.”
SUNLESS TANNING PRODUCTS
To find the right product for you, first consider how much you want to spend and how long you want the tan to last. Self-tanners will last about a week and cost between R90 and R500, depending on the product. Bronzers are a cost-effect, short term solution for that ‘special occasion’ tan while professional airbrush tans cost between R250 to R350 and can last up to 10 days.
SELF TANNERS
The self tanners of the past often left those, brave enough to try them, looking comically orange and streaky. Newer products provide natural-looking results and better formulas ensure that the tan develops faster. Self tanners are available in different forms – as a cream, lotion, foam or gel. Most of these products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which reacts with upper skin cells, causing a colour change which lasts between five to seven days. Other products are skin moisturising creams which include a small self-tanning component.
They produce a gradual self tan as you continue to use the product. Before using any product, first do a skin test on a hidden patch of skin. This will give you an idea of the colour you will turn and also if you are allergic to the product.
How to apply
- Take a shower and exfoliate properly with a suitable body scrub. Pay special attention to your knees and elbows.
- Shave your legs
- Don’t apply moisturiser after your shower unless the product instructions advocate this. Some moisturises react with the self tanner and this produces a patchy result.
- Rub petroleum jelly on your cuticles and nails to prevent staining.
- Apply self-tanner to your legs, first knees to feet, then your thighs. Tackle your hips, tummy, upper body and arms down to your hands next.
- Keep a cloth handy and wipe your palms every few minutes during the application.
- Avoid exercise while the tan sets and wait six to eight hours before taking a shower.
- Clean your palms after applying the product, but take care not to remove it from the back of your hands and wrists.
- Remember to moisturise daily to preserve your tan.
BRONZERS
Bronzers are cosmetic make-up products which produce a temporary tanned effect until they are removed with soap and water. They are useful when an ‘instant’ tan is needed for a special occasion.
Bronzers are available as creams, lotions, pressed powder or as aerosols. Choose a shade that is about two hues darker than your natural skin tone. If you have dry skin, use a cream or lotion bronzer. This can be applied with a soft sponge or clean finger tips. Use a circular motion and blend in well, especially along the jaw line. If you have oily to normal skin, use a power-based product applied with a fluffy applicator brush. There are also bronzing beads available which you rub gently over your skin to produce the tanned effect. Look for products with built-in sun protection.
Q: Are sunbeds and solariums safe?
A: Sunbeds are very dangerous. Most sun beds use UVA lights. Studies have shown that it is associated with melanoma, premature ageing as well as other skins cancers.” says dermatologist, Dr Chantelle Doman
It is very tempting to book some time on a sunbed in preparation for baring your bod on the beach, thinking that this is a safer option than cooking in the sun. Unfortunately any type of tanning damages your skin, and increases the risk of premature skin ageing and skin cancer.
If you are still on the fast track to the nearest tanning salon, take some precautions. Don’t go for more than 10 sessions a year and with gaps of at least 48 hours in between sessions. Make sure you use the bed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and protect your eyes with goggles.
Source www.health24.com
Tan accelerators
Tan accelerators are not ‘sunless’ tanning products. They need some exposure to the sun’s UV rays to produce a tan. Accelerators work by stimulating your body’s natural melanin production. Two amino acids called psoralen or tyrosine are usually found in these lotions and cause the increase in melanin production.
This means that you’ll tan darker and in less time, but they won’t protect you from sunburn or the damaging effects of the sun. If you are outdoors, always apply a good sunscreen. Accelerators are also available in tablet form. The active ingredient in the pill, tyrosine, stimulates and increases the body’s production of melanin.
Note: The safety of large amounts of ingested tyrosine is unknown.
TANNING PILLS
Pop a pill to get a tan?
Tanning pills contain canthaxanthin, a common food-colouring additive. Canthaxanthin is deposited throughout the body. It’s also deposited in the fat layer just below your skin, changing the skin tone to an orange-brown. While America’s Food and Drug Association (FDA) has approved its use in small quantities in food, larger quantities like those found in tanning pills have not been approved.
SALON TANS
Jennifer Fieldgate, owner of RUB skin and body salon in Bryanston, explains that airbrush tanning is a fine mist (containing a professional tanning product) which is emitted out of a compressor machine. “This makes for a more natural and even looking tan,” says Jennifer.
“It also allows the product to be sprayed onto smaller, harder to reach places.” A salon spray tan is slightly different – it’s a big machine which emits product in a much stronger steam. “Spray tans can sometimes be patchy with areas not being completely covered,” says Jennifer. “It’s very important for the client to exfoliate before having the treatment to get rid of all dead skin.”
Most products used by salons do not contain built-in sun protection so you must apply a high SPF sunscreen outdoors or you will burn. “The tan can last between five and ten days, depending on the condition of the client’s skin,” says Jennifer. “If the skin is well moisturised it will last longer, if it is drier it will lead to flaking of the skin and the tan.”
Whether you are sporting a ‘tan in bottle’ or the real thing this summer, remember that skin damage is a reality. Be responsible for yourself and your family. If you’re out in the sun, slap on that high SPF sunscreen, slip on a hat and sunglasses and stay out of the sun between mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
By Gina Hartoog. Information by: Dermatologist Dr Chantelle Doman MBcHB (UOVS) FC Derm (SA) Lifestyle Management Park, Tel: (012) 664-7495; Jennifer Fieldgate, RUB salon 011-706-0035/www.rubsalon.co.za, www.en.wikipedia.org, www.beauty.about.com, www.sunless.com, www.beyondskinscience.com, www.sunprotection.net
What is a ‘real’ suntan?
Melanin is a natural skin pigment, produced as a protection against harmful UV rays. When UV rays, either from the sun or a sun bed, hit your skin, the production of melanin, in special cells called melanocytes, begins. This increase in pigment causes the skin to darken, resulting in a suntan. The more you expose your skin to UV rays, the darker you become. If you are out in the sun for a long time without protection, your skin won’t be able to produce melanin fast enough – the result is a painful, red sunburn. If you have a dark skin, you produce more melanin but it doesn’t mean your skin doesn’t need sun protection.
Remember to ask for further advice about sunless tanning products at your Link pharmacy.
Take Note
Editor’s Tips for a Healthier Life
Bad BO?
You shower regularly and are using industrial strength deodorant/antiperspirant but you still wiff?
You may have clogged pores. When your skin can’t properly eliminate body wastes, bad body odour can result. Gently dry-brushing your skin just before every shower exfoliates the dead skin that traps those odour-causing wastes. You’ll find body brushes in most Link pharmacy. Brush your body (before a shower or bath) with long, gentle strokes moving toward your heart.
This will improve circulation and help your body detoxify more efficiently. (This won’t eliminate your need for deodorant, but you may be able to use less of it.)
Smells Gooood
Your home or car in need of a freshen up? A simple recipe for aromatherapy air freshener that is made by blending oils is to add eight to 10 drops of any essential oil in a cup of water.
Put this into a plastic spray mist bottle (use a new one). After shaking the bottle well, this spray can be used as a misty fresh air spray for your home or car.
Overdid it?
Getting into the holiday spirit you’ve overindulged in food and alcohol and now your gut is aching and your head is sore. Take some activated charcoal tablets (available from Link pharmacies). This non-nutritive substance is a triedand- true remedy for indigestion, helping to absorb excess fat in the gut and escort it safely out of the body. It is also well-know for diminishing flatulence.
For a heavy-night, the activated charcoal will also absorb the excess alcohol in your system and assist in removing it.
TIP: A paste of activated charcoal in water applied to cuts and stings (such as jellyfish or bees) will relieve some of the symptoms as it will draw out the remaining poison.
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