While it's common to want to soak up as much of the summer sun as possible, it's more important to protect your skin while spending time outside, as skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. By taking precautions and following some simple steps, you can protect yourself and your family from overexposure during these summer months.
How does sun exposure change skin?
Sun exposure can cause pre-cancerous or cancerous skin lesions, benign tumors, wrinkles, freckles, discolored areas of the skin, yellow discoloration of the skin, and dilation of small blood vessels under the skin.
How can I correct sun damaged skin?
While nothing can completely undo sun damage, the skin can sometimes repair itself.
Therefore, it's never too late to begin protecting your skin while in the sun. There are some products however, that may reverse some of the results of sun exposure, such as:
Aspirin: may relieve some inflammation associated with acute sun exposure.
Retin-A: may reverse some of the wrinkling damage associated with sun exposure.
Hydroquinone bleaching creams: may correct some pigmentation irregularities from sun exposure.
It's important to remember that sun avoidance is best for your skin, though sunscreens (properly used) are the next best thing to wearing covering clothing and not going outdoors. And even though a person may never develop a skin cancer from sun exposure, they will almost certainly develop skin wrinkles from sun exposure.
Tips for sun protection:
"¢ Generously apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 or greater at least 30 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen should provide protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. UVA rays are responsible for the signs of aging, while UVB rays are what give you a sunburn. Both are responsible for causing most skin cancers. All sunscreens protect against UVB rays, but only recently have sunscreens started including UVA protection. The label should say UVA/UVB or "broad spectrum coverage." Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after sweating or swimming.
"¢ Do not burn. Sunburns significantly increase one's lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children. Even one or two bad sunburns during childhood can cause an increased risk of getting melanoma later in life.
"¢ Use cosmetic products and contact lenses that offer UV protection, and wear sunglasses with total UV protection.
"¢ Wear protective clothing, (wide-brimmed hats, long sleeved shirts, and pants), when possible.
"¢ Avoid direct sun exposure or seek shade during peak UV radiation hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
"¢ Check the UV Index online or in your daily newspaper. It provides important information to help you plan your outdoor activities while avoiding sun overexposure. The Index forecasts the strength of the sun's harmful rays. The higher the number, the greater the chance of sun damage.
"¢ Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and to notice any changes or new growths. A new or changing mole should be evaluated by a dermatologist, as early detection of melanoma (skin cancer) can save your life.
Dr. John Russin is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Bassett Healthcare Network who sees patients at the Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care Center at Hartwick Seminary Specialty Services. He also sees patients in Hamilton and Cobleskill.
Guest Column
Health: Take steps to protect your skin this summer
- Guest Column
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
In Otsego County’s local elections last fall, a number of candidates — most of them on the independent Sustainable Otsego line — ran on an anti-fracking, pro-sustainability platform. They recognized that our current way of life — dependent on increasingly scarce, costly and polluting fossil fuels — cannot continue.
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Time to get off the bus and on the computer
Seventy-five years ago, use of a new technology resulted in a dramatic transformation of education in our region and in rural areas throughout the country.
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Cuomo's Machiavellian maneuvers are a danger
New York State has a long history of problems with money -- high income taxes, high property taxes, and a high lifestyle in Albany that seems to attract lots of politicians with high, even presidential, aspirations. For decades our politicians have sucked up enormous wealth from businesses and individuals, and redistributed it in ways that ensure their continued political employment. The Empire runs on money, and recognizing this fact, it should be simple to figure out how the fracking debate is going to play out over the next few months in Albany.
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Home rule laws aren't a radical idea
A lot of discussion and debate has occurred in our area lately over the issue of 'home rule' as it would apply to natural gas drilling. Let me offer some thoughts and my perspective on the issue and on the legislation I have sponsored (S. 5830) to enable local governments to treat natural gas drilling the way zoned communities treat any other commercial, industrial or residential use.
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Sustainable shouldn't be a dirty word
Sustainable Otsego has been in the news a lot lately. We have been vocal critics of hydrofracking for natural gas both locally and statewide, and we put together with the Democrats a winning slate of pro-sustainability, pro-home rule, anti-fracking candidates in the recent elections.
- Saturday, November 5, 2011
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Fracking fears are based on facts
Some recent letters in The Daily Star and other local papers have implied that supporters of candidates for town and county offices who oppose gas drilling are fear-mongering, or that we can rely on the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to protect us.
- Saturday, October 22, 2011
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Tea goes well with 'Occupy'
Otsego County supporters of the Tea Party will remember me. In 2009, we marched in outrage against the bi-partisan $800 billion taxpayer bailout of Wall Street.
- Monday, October 17, 2011
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City charter deserves support
Having served as mayors of the City of Oneonta, we write to urge the city’s voters to approve the proposed new city charter on Nov. 8.
- Saturday, October 1, 2011
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Don't overlook potential of workers with disabilities
American jobs are dominating the national conversation right now, and with good reason. But amid the political debates and pundit analysis, there's one segment of the labor market that's going largely ignored: Workers with disabilities.
- Sunday, September 18, 2011
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Coventry pipeline could benefit region
Last month, anti-drillers campaigned against a pipeline shipping Coventry gas to Bainbridge and Sidney customers. What's wrong with this picture?
- Monday, August 1, 2011
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'Gas Wars' entering its second act
Raise the curtain on the second act of Gas Wars. The SGEIS allows access to 85 percent of the shale gas beneath our state. The hardcore environmental lobby has lost to the science and the multi-state research of the three-year study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. All that is left is the hoopla surrounding the 60-day comment period. The DEC then presents the final document to the governor for release. Then gas development begins in New York.
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Make affordable birth control a priority
One of the biggest barriers to effective family planning may soon come tumbling down for millions of American women.
- Saturday, July 16, 2011
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SUNY Oneonta expansion will be bad for city
Recent plans by the State University College at Oneonta to expand its reach into the community have threatened to change the character of several neighborhoods here in the city.
- Saturday, July 9, 2011
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The folly of job-training programs
America believes that the solution to every social and economic problem is job training. Outsourcing? Job training. Economically depressed neighborhoods? Job training. Impoverished single mothers? You guessed it.
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'Change' is the byword for city, region, state
Regardless of the outlook at the federal level, and separate from the glimmer of promise for New York State, we're sure to see changes in the "who" and "how" of handling our local challenges in the year ahead.
- Saturday, June 25, 2011
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Changes to city charter will be good for Oneonta
The Oneonta Charter Review Commission appreciated the opportunity to present the first full draft of the proposed Oneonta City Charter to the mayor and Common Council on June 7, as well as the questions from Council Members.
- Saturday, June 11, 2011
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Health column: Take step to prevent and treat urinary tract infections in girls
By Dr. Linda M. Lukose How common are urinary tract infections in girls?
- Saturday, June 4, 2011
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Take steps to combat illegal dog fights
Dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. However, because of loopholes in the laws in New York state, many dog fighters go free. This has made New York a haven for these vicious criminals. People come from other states and cities to rural areas like ours to take part in the criminal activity of dog fighting. Otsego and Delaware counties are close to the Pennsylvania border and within an hour of Binghamton and Albany, making us a central location.
- Saturday, May 21, 2011
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Gas Wars: A play in three acts
Act One: The Prequel. Starts in 2008 and ends with the publication of the Supplemental Generic Impact Statement.
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
