Fashion, Frying and the Skin
Prior to Chanel 's tan, sun-darkened skin was considered by the wealthy and socially aspirant as coarse and Suddenly, young and old, wealthy and poor, were competitive to acquire the deepest tan they could develop, toasting themselves in the sun for as long as they could stand.
And more than times, of course, considering medical concern has arisen in connection with the vogue for sun tanning. Far from being a symbol of health and vigor, sun darkened skin is, without exception, damaged skin. Ultraviolet & # 39; B & # 39; radiation (UVB) is of very short-wavelength (UVB) is the very short wavelength and collagen and elastin in skin - the tissues responsible for maintaining, a taut, firm appearance. It also produces skin redness - the immediate sign that skin has been harmed - by damaging the fine dermatological capillaries Moreover, UVB radiation damages skin DNA, the result of which is the increased production of the darkening pigment, melanin (melanogenesis). This can result in the appearance of dark clusters or moles.
Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation is of a long wavelength and stimulates the melanin-producing cells in the skin (melanocytes) to release the pigment (this is not identical to melanogenesis, which refers to the production of new melanin; UVA also penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB, whereupon it appears to accelerate the aging process, production wrinkles, dryness and uneven skin tone. UVB is believed to cause fewer cancers than UVB, it is closely correlated with malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive and dangerous skin cancers known to medical science (UVB is implicated in cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, which rarely metastasizes like melanoma and is more treatable).
Skin Repair with Vitamin A
One relatively simple step was identified recently by a team of Thankfully, for the most people have sustained at least some sun damage to date. researchers from the Universities of Arizona and Texas, 50,000 IU (approximately 15 mg) of vitamin A appreciably reversed skin damage among 129 patients with severe sun damage on their forearms. In an earlier study, the same researchers had discovered That a smaller, 25,000 IU dose of vitamin A resented in a 32% reduction in squamous skin cancers among the 2,297 patients who participated in the study. Hypothesizing that increased dosage of vitamin A may produce even better chemo-preventive results, the later study examined the effects of 50,000 IU and 75,000 IU of vitamin A on 129 randomized participants over a 12 month period.
This percentage increased ___ ___ ___ 0 0% reduction in skin damage, whereas the group taking 25,000 IU vitamin A showed a 62% reduction. 81% and 79% for groups taking 50,000 IU and 75,000 IU. None of the patients taking increased dosages showed any sign of vitamin A toxicity.
It has been known that some of the cancer changes, such as fish and eggs, can prevent and reverse some of the cancer change, this study confirms that relatively high dosages are both effective and safe for periods of up to A small note of caution was sounded by the researchers, however, the study did not look at the effects of the vitamin A at such high doses and they advise physicians to make careful clinical evaluations of such term toxicity risks, such as loss of bone mineral density, before administrating the treatment. Individuals considering taking taking increased doses of vitamin A should seek medical guidance first (pregnant mothers, for example, should not take more than 10,000 IU including vitamin A per day, and the effects of high doses of the antioxidant can be negative, including hair loss, dry skin and liver damage).
Other Remedies and Preventative Strategies
This involves removing a surface layer of dry, dead skin with a carefully calibrated acid Treatments should not be taken more frequently than once per month and cost around $ 200 each.
More elaborate (and expensive) treatments include Plasma Skin Resurfacing (up to $ 1500 per treatment), which heats up the skin with gas and aims to reduce wrinkling and skin discoloration, Radio Frequency treatment (up to $ 2000 per session) which also aims to reduce sagging by tightening the skin, and Fraxel Lasers (up to $ 1500 per session), which heat the lower layer of skin with the aim of reducing pigment production and collagen. These treatments should be carefully considered before embarked upon - they appear to produce varying results, dependent to some degree on the extent of sun damage and how well individuals protect themselves from additional sun harm.
Developing the habit of routinely using broad spectrum sunscreen to block both UVA and UVB radiation is especially important to prevent further damage, and consuming such as green tea, Vitamin C and idebenone will also help shield the skin from dangerous rays.
