Posted by admin on February 19, 2009 under Skin Cancer, Summer Skin Care, UVA, UVB, UVC, cancer, sun damage, sun protection | 
As Winter Wanes and Spring Begins to Blossom, the Impact of Light on Day to Day Life Becomes ….. Illuminated
Understanding Ultraviolet light and one’s exposure is key to good health
Ultraviolet light is an essential part of life, with both life-sustaining as well as damaging affects. From promoting Vitamin D and treating many different types of skin conditions to aging and skin cancers, it’s role has an undeniable impact on life. Understanding it and one’s exposure to it is key.
Ultraviolet (UV) light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that begins at the violet color of visible light (400 nm) and ends at the beginning of X-ray (200 nm). Visible light includes ultraviolet light A (320-400 nm), ultraviolet light B (290-320 nm), and ultraviolet light C (200-290 nm).
Ultraviolet light A (UVA) comes from sunlight and is capable of penetrating windows. It also has a longer wavelength and penetrates deeper into the skin to cause photoaging. Ultraviolet light B (UVB) is also from the sun and can cause sunburns and immediate redness. Ultraviolet light C (UVC) from sunlight and is filtered by the ozone layer. Artificial sources of UVC include cold quartz lamps and operating room germicidal lamps.
UV light is not only beneficial but necessary for individuals and the environment. It makes vitamin D in our skin, which is increasingly linked to overall health and well being. In fact, recent reports indicate Vitamin D deficiencies of large proportions within the United States as a result of sunscreen overuse and our conditioning to stay out of the sun in order to avoid the harm of its rays. Vitamin D deficiencies are linked to increased risk of many different types of diseases including cancer.
UV light has also been effectively used to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that causes red, dry and rough patches of skin that worsens in colder winter months. Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder.
The harmful affects of UV light are well-known in American society, contributing to the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries - promoting sunscreens and anti-aging cosmetics. The light can be harmful, not only aging the skin but also damaging cells - resulting in various types of skin cancers.
Sunscreens labeled with a sun protection factor (SPF) lower the chances of a sunburn from UVB rays. UVB has been used to treat psoriasis, vitiligo, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, eczema and other dermatologic diseases. Sunlight machines have bulbs that emit light of the UVB spectrum. And now a specific band of UVB at 311-312 nm (narrowband UVB) is used to more effectively treat various skin conditions such as psoriasis. This is called phototherapy.
UVA rays cause damaging aging affects in the skin. Sunscreens containing zinc and titanium dioxide protect the skin against UVA. Phototherapy machines also have bulbs that emit light of the UVA spectrum. After taking a medication called psoralen, the skin becomes sensitized to the ultraviolet light. This is called PUVA treatment, psoralens plus UVA, and it is used as well to treat diseases like psoriasis and vitiligo.
Tags: cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, eczema, harmful sun rays, photoaging, phototherapy, psoralen, psoriasis, PUVA, Skin Cancer, sun damage, sun lamps, sunlight machines, titanium dioxide, ultraviolet light, UVA, UVB, UVC, vitiligo, zinc
Posted by admin on February 10, 2009 under Genital Warts, HPV, Vaccine, cancer |
It’s time for Mothers and Daughters to Discuss Sexually Transmitted Diseases…and Cancer Risks
Moms and Daughters also need to sit down and talk.
The most common cause of sexually transmitted disease in the United States today is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a virus that infects epithelial tissue of the skin, anogenital areas, and oral mucosa. Clinically, these are called warts, and the appearance varies by the location of the warts.
Once most commonly seen on college campuses, the virus is increasingly showing up in the nurses office of junior high and high schools – exposing a larger and younger population to the long-term…life-threatening risks.
There are over 100 types of HPV viruses - different strains infecting different locations. Some HPV strains of HPV causing anogenital warts can cause cancer and precancerous lesions.
HPV Types 6 and 11 can cause the majority of genital warts (condyloma accuminata), and HPV Types 16 and 18 cause 70 percent of cervical cancers in women.
Anogenital warts are highly contagious. In men, the wart looks like a cauliflower like lesion, but when women are infected, often times they do not know. About 1 percent of those infected with HPV 6 and 11 actually develop lesions.
HPV is transmitted by direct sexual contact or by a contaminated object. Twenty-five percent of those women infected with HPV will develop cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and one percent will develop invasive cervical cancer. Since cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer, the HPV vaccine has received much attention as a possible deterrent and one of the few vaccines available today in reducing cancer risk..
The Gardasil vaccine was approved by the FDA on June 2006 for use in females nine to 26 years of age. In 2006, the European Commission approved its use for girls and boys ages nine to 15, and women ages 16 to 26. The vaccine is believed to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by 90 percent.
Tags: anogenital warts, cancer, cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, condyloma accuminata, Genital Warts, HPV, HPV 6 and 11, Human Papillomavirus, precancerous lesions, Vaccine, warts
Posted by admin on February 4, 2009 under Botox, Mature Skin, cosmetic procedures |
New news about popular winkle smoothing treatment Botox, proving a quick and fairly cost-effective face “enhancer” for women of all ages.
Will the fountain of youth soon be found with a cream? Perhaps.
Botox (botulinum neurotoxin), while initially used to address problems related to nerve disorders, has over the years been increasingly used to effectively treat facial wrinkles. It is FDA-approved to specifically treat the forehead wrinkles formed during frowning or scowling - though is frequently also used around smile lines in order to slow the rate at which these lines deepen.
Despite the proven success of the treatment, many have chosen to stay away from Botox because of the cost, the fear of needles required to administer the medication and the fear of permanent paralysis in the targeted area. While there is little evidence to support such fears and costs are relatively low compared to many of the facial/face-lift procedures available today, many are looking to alternative types of application.
A recent study from Florence, Italy has found an alternative method of administering the neurotoxin. The study involved mild abrasion of the skin of rats, application of Botulinum Type A to the area and a pulsed current iontophoresis. Studies were then performed, which showed that the botox was delivered through the skin and associated with striated skeletal muscles. What this means for the future of treating wrinkles has yet to be determined.
Will the fountain of youth soon be found with a cream, or do we still need the needle to slow down the inevitable? Future studies will prove interesting.
