Health In Motion Today May 2008

Hello to All Women and Families in Motion!

While summer can’t come soon enough for a sun worshiper like me, it’s apparent that we need to use caution when spending long hours outside. I come from the generation of girls that used plain baby oil with iodine while laying in the sun for hours, baking our bodies. Now we know that it not only prematurely ages us, but can cause skin cancer, called Melanoma.

This generation of girls is more educated and aware, knowing that they need a high sun protection factor lotion when outside. However, many of them don’t realize that they are really at risk when they go to tanning beds, which can also cause skin cancer and premature wrinkling and aging.

May is Melanoma Prevention Month and this makes sense since it’s the month we traditionally begin to spend more time outside.

Melanoma is the silent killer. What looks like a harmless mole can be a horrible cancer growing out of sight.

I lost a wonderful uncle who was a telephone lineman to the disease years ago. More recently, my girlfriend’s daughter found out at age 19 that she had the disease and lost her battle to it at age 23, leaving behind a husband, baby and grieving family.

For optimum health we need sunshine, but no longer than 20 minutes per day. All things in moderation is key, and sunshine is definitely one where that is so true.

More and more products in the cosmetic lines come with a Sun Protection Factor of 15 or more. Women are usually well covered in that area with their moisturizers and foundations. Men, however, generally don’t use an SPF product unless they are going to the beach or on a boating trip. Children are most susceptible to burns than we adults.

So, moms, wives and girlfriends, please take care to see that your significant others and especially the little ones in your life are protected with an SPF factor lotion before they head outside for any period of time of exposure over 20 minutes.

Just as you go for an annual check up for your overall health, it’s a good idea to schedule an annual exam at the dermatologist to have him or her check you out from head to toe, back to front for what may be a malignant Melanoma.

Have fun this summer while out swimming, boating, or other outdoor activities. Just be sure to wear a hat, take a t-shirt with you on the boat or to the beach, and make sure to get at least a 20 SPF for you, and a 30 or higher SPF for your little ones.

Please attend the WHIM Skin Care Fair May 17 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Allen, 10 am to 4 pm. It’s free and will give you all types of skin care info. Call Debra Pope at 214-592-5196 or send an e-mail to DebraPope@Whim-Mckinney.org for more info.