Regent Pharmacy


Sun Protection
What would you sacrifice for that perfect tan? The perfect tan, you look healthy you feel good but what price would you pay, your life? Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK, around 40,500 people are diagnosed with it each year, 2000 of those will die and the numbers are increasing. Conclusion The answer to the question "What can I do?" is wear sunscreen and protect your self and your children by applying sunscreen at regular intervals. Pharmacy Assistants are perfectly able to advise you on the best protection for you and your family. People most at risk - Children - Fair-skinned - Have red hair or freckles - Burn easily, tan with difficulty - Outdoor workers - Have a large number of moles Useful points - Apply the minimum of SPF15 or higher regularly - Hats and clothing - Seek shade If all this is not enough to persuade you to take great care and vanity still prevails, bear this in mind coarse wrinkles, dyspygmentation, sallow or rough skin and cancer are not a sign of aging but of photo aging. Photo aging is where the skin becomes saggy and wrinkled due to exposure to the sun.	The Evidence Sunlight is beneficial to our skin. When sunlight reaches our skin, it causes many reactions to take place, the production of Vitamin D being one of them, this is essential for our health. Even UVA and UVB are used for acne and skin diseases. We can however, maintain a healthy skin without putting ourselves at risk. Sunlight is made up of many form of energy, we are only concerned here with UV radiation. UV radiation can be divided into three types:- 1) UVA - penetrates deep, damages the skin causing wrinkles and is thought to be linked to cancer. 2) UVB - these cause sunburn and are responsible for skin cancer. 3) UVC - most damaging but are absorbed by the ozone layer. There are three main types of skin cancer:- 1) Malignant Melanoma - the most dangerous and while its exact cause is undetermined, intensive exposure e.g. two weeks holiday has been an associated cause. 2) Non-melanomas Basal Cell Carcinoma - this is the most common, it appears on the face and neck where it is confined. 3) Squamous Cell Carcinoma - is the second most common, appearing on area exposed to the Sun on a frequent bases, this type can spread and be fatal.

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