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Tans Fade but Wrinkles are Forever – Slip, Slop, Slap

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Sun damages skin—period.
The obvious trick in summer is to balance exposure to sun with protection from the harmful rays that cause skin damage and can lead to cancer. These rays are known as UVA and UVB rays, with UV standing for Ultra Violet.

Australian health authorities, alarmed by the skyrocketing rise of minor skin cancers and deadly skin melanomas have instituted a health campaign with the tag line: SLIP (on a shirt), SLOP (on sunscreen), and SLAP (on a hat).

Lets briefly look at the elements of the campaign.
SLOP: Many people tend to confuse the terms "sunblock" and "sunscreen". Sunblock fully blocks the rays of the sun and consists of such "blocks" as titanium and zinc oxides. They are extremely effective in blocking sunlight, but they also are colored and leave the wearer appearing like a character on the canvas of "Women of Avignon" by Picasso. Furthermore, they need to be reapplied after only a few hours.

Two sunscreens that have hit the stores this year, Heliolex and Anthelios SX provide significant protection against UVA (80%) and UVB (90%) for up to five hours after application. Helioplex is sold by Neutrogena as UltraSheer. They go on easily, need to be reapplied less frequently than sunblocks, and are invisible.

SLIP: Nothing blocks the sun better than clothing, and when the sun is blazing, make sure you put a shirt on to protct your back and shoulders.

SLAP: You don’t have to look like a kangaroo hunter, but the more you can put your face in shadow, the less harmful rays your skin will accumulate.
And yes, you can get a fine tan with all of the above.
Drill this into your kids:

SLIP on a shirt
SLOP on sunscreen
SLAP on a hat

Mice Use Less Sunscreen – Substitute Coffee and Exercise Instead

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Who would have guessed that coffee and exercise induce the formation of cells that block sunrays? But they do–at least in mice.

As reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, hairless mice who were fed high doses of caffeine, and exercised on their running wheels, showed an increase in the cells which protect against sunburn.

There have been no human studies to date, so you may wish to continue your sunscreen, hats and shirts before switching to double espressos on the beach.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, "Voluntary exercise together with oral caffeine markedly stimulates UVB light-induced apoptosis and decreases tissue fat in SKH-1"

Scabies – Treat First and Skip the Scrape?

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Writing in the Journal of Family Practice, Dr. Barbara Walker notes, "During my medical training and years in the military, I have seen patients who suffered prolonged itching because they had no microscopic confirmation of scabies, but who cleared quickly with treatment after a skin biopsy identified scabies."
"This," she said, "has given me a short fuse for treating empirically in my own clinics."

Bottom line—if you think you have scabies, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to skip the scrape (to find the critters), and go right to treatment, which at the moment is permethrin.
Also, make sure you treat any sexual partners, as well as anyone else who lives in your household.

Get Rid of Sun Spots

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Are sun spots on your skin becoming unwelcome reminders of aging? Today there are treatments available that can help you get rid of them.

Sun spots usually start appearing after the age of 40 and are common in people with light skin. They start spreading more once you cross 50. Long hours or days spent in the sun during your early years are one of the most likely causes of sun spots.

While sunspots are medically harmless, many seniors seek to hide sun spots for cosmetic reasons.

Sun spots can occur both in males and females, but women are more likely to opt for a treatment to get rid of them. Today, a wide variety of remedies, from bleach to laser therapy, are available to treat sun spots.

Fraxel laser treatments—costing up to $1,000 per treatment—are one of the most effective, though also expensive. After the treatment it’s necessary to avoid the sun by wearing protective clothing and using sunscreens in order to prevent these spots from reappearing.