Stop tanning!

antmanb said:

Medusa (since you seem to actually have some medical knowledge about this!)

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Here comes Medusa! (they actually called me "Computer" and "Encyclopaedia" when I was a kid)

Ultraviolet Light
There are three different types of UV-rays.

• UVA (long wave, between 400 and 320nm)
• UVB (medium wave, between 320 and 280nm)
• UVC (short wave, between 200 and 122nm)

There are also inbetween types (Near, Middle, Far, Vaccum, Extreme).

UVC does not reach the Earth, so we are not influenced by it.
UVB and UVC damage the DNA directly, UV irradiation of 245 to 290nm is best absorbed by the DNA. UVA doesn't damage the DNA directly, it generates radicals which damage the DNA (and make us age).

For psoriasis, there are two UV-treatments: PUVA (Psoralen + UVA) and UVB (we now have sources that generate mostly at 311 and 312nm, which is less severe for the DNA).

But yes, there is an increased risk for carcinomas, that's why these treatments are not taken lightly and are only implementd in severe cases of psoriasis.

PUVA carries an increased risk for SSC, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, (10 to 30 times higher than in the general population) and probably also a higher risk for melanoma. Several studies show that UVB doesn't result in a higher risk for skin cancer, and if it does, than it's only slightly higher. So why do we still do PUVA? It has often proven to be more effective, though with the new UVB sources, UVB is also becoming more effective. Unfortunately, the traditional treatment for psoriasis, immunsuppression with medicaments, also increases the risk for malignant illnesses, e.g. lymphomata.

This article describes everything pretty well, including the DNA-damage that is caused.

Thanks for that Medusa i really appreciate it :agree:

Ant

Medusa, Thank you so much for the info on psoriasis UV treatments. My niece's dermatologist prescribed them for her. Apparently then only work for some 20 or so percent of psoriasis patients, but they work for my niece.

Tonichelle said:

So stay away from old hags with apples and you should be fine.

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I resent that remark!!!

Joesitz said:

Many alternative doctors have gone back to believing the Sun is good for you but it is limited to how much exposure per day. Vitamin D3 is the best nutrient to put in your system. Milk doesn't have D3. The sun is best but half hour is enough.

I guarantee your energy level will increase with D3.

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I go outside during the day. I just don't lay there for hours on end with minimal protection just to get dark!!! That's what I used to do in my younger years!!! I am not a vampire...I love the sun!!

The sun can also help with treating Clinical Depression and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I suffered from Depression and was treated in group therapy. Since I live in Vancouver, there isn't a lot of sun in the winter. One treatment recommendation was to go to a sunbed for a certain amount of time per week. I didn't follow this advice so I'm not sure of the specifics, but I must admit, there's nothing like a sunny day to perk your mood. I know it worked for a few people in my therapy group who had moderate to severe cases of Depression.

I know extreme tanning is bad for your skin, but I really don't see the harm in laying out periodically. Personally, the idea of lying in an oven to bake doesn't really float my boat, but I love sitting on the during the summer and reading a good book! As long as I've got my sunscreen, I'm good to go. Sorry dermatologists of the world!

skatingbc said:

Sorry dermatologists of the world!

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Oh, no need to apologise to them. They can make big bucks!

skatingbc said:

The sun can also help with treating Clinical Depression and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I suffered from Depression and was treated in group therapy. Since I live in Vancouver, there isn't a lot of sun in the winter. One treatment recommendation was to go to a sunbed for a certain amount of time per week. I didn't follow this advice so I'm not sure of the specifics, but I must admit, there's nothing like a sunny day to perk your mood. I know it worked for a few people in my therapy group who had moderate to severe cases of Depression.

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I also noticed the same thing. I live in one of the sunniest places in the US now, and when I moved here , people seem to be more cheerful here compared with the places I used to live.

Vancouver was one of the places I used to live for a while, I also noticed that during winter season, it was often raining, and people were friendly but not quite as cheerful as here. During May to the end of September, Vancouver is really fantastic season, and my feeling was always up. And that was the time the sun was always up, too.

It’s so true, a sunny day often makes a sunny mood . Vancouver was not too sunny like here, but it was just so comfortable.

Love the sun but I always cover with black color long sleeves shirts, with long hat whenever I go out to protect from the killer sun here during the day whenever I go out. Sun umbrella seems not popular in the USA, but in the country where I came from it was popular for ladies during summer season, ladies avoided getting tan to protect their skin, it was common knowledge there.

Medusa said:

Oh, no need to apologise to them. They can make big bucks!

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Haha, true! Maybe I should switch my major...

sillylionlove said:

I go outside during the day. I just don't lay there for hours on end with minimal protection just to get dark!!! That's what I used to do in my younger years!!! I am not a vampire...I love the sun!!

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You're probably doing the correct thing. i think the more skin exposure and the shorter time in direct Sun is also a good thing.

D3 in supplement form can also be used, and without the sun, one can take 2000 -4000 IUs a day. It does help many ailments.

I like my wintery white complexion... have felt no need to change that.

I am freakishly white and I live in Brazil, like, right under the hole on the ozone layer. The only colors that my skin can acquire are phantom white or pepper red.
When I was a kid, I had all kinds of nicknames because of it (like being the tallest kid in my grade wasn't enough...), Casper as in 'the friendly ghost' fon an example.

I really love the sun, but it also scares me. My mother had skin cancer three times, on the chest, then on the tip of her nose and the her forehead. For the first one she had to go through a round of radiation therapy. It all went well and she has nothing now.
Last year I had two moles on my face that came out of nowhere (and I'm constatly on SPF 20+). I freaked out and went to the doctor immediately. He said it was probably nothing but it was going to get removed anyway. So I did. Luckily, it was just some acne that I scratched and the skin cells went bezerk.

The sun is good, but you have to be careful not to over do it. Otherwhise, best case scenario, you'll be looking like a crocodile by the time you're 40.

Simone said:

I like my wintery white complexion... have felt no need to change that.

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In alternative medicine one doesn't take the Sun for cosmetic reasons. The Sun is the best way to get vitamin D3. i take it for 1/2 hour in a pair of shorts when the Sun is out. I've gotten a slight tan over several weeks but I do not look like George Hamilton.

OK, my psoriasis in clear inside my ears, so how do I get it there??
I've had two different prescriptions and neither one worked. Now, I'm using olive oil and it works better. Itching ears is no fun. :scowl:

Grgranny said:

OK, my psoriasis in clear inside my ears, so how do I get it there??
I've had two different prescriptions and neither one worked. Now, I'm using olive oil and it works better. Itching ears is no fun. :scowl:

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attagirl, Granny. Alternative ways are best.