The most common kind of cancer is skin cancer, affecting some 500, 000 Americans yearly. But out of all the types of cancer there is, it is the most curable. About ninety five percent of people who have skin cancer are cured by drugs or surgery. “Sunlight is regarded as a causative factor in more than 90% of skin cancers,” stated Lambert. Skin cancer is the most serious consequence of over exposure to the sun. It is a delayed effect that usually doesn’t appear for many years.
Since sun damage may not be immediately visible, many people don’t realize the dangers of tanning. Dr. Vivienne Nathanson said, “A Suntan isn’t a sign of good health, a tan even where there is no burning, always means that the skin has been damaged. Suntan isn’t nature’s own sunscreen.” A tan thickens the skin enabling it to tolerate the sun longer without burning but it does not offer full protection.
A few serious sunburns can increase a person’s risk for skin cancer. The lighter a person’s natural skin color is, the more likely he or she is to burn. Melanin in greater of lesser amounts is what separates skin types and determines how a person can handle the sun. People who stay out too long can get a burn that just as severe as one caused by a fire of boiling water. Ultraviolet B rays causes sunburn, but ultraviolet A rays are more harmful. It alone may lead to skin cancer.
It actually damages the connective tissue at deeper levels. Sunbeds first became popular in the 1970’s and have become a boom industry ever since. Surveys have shown that in the 16-24 age group, at least one person in four has used a sunbed. It is twice as popular with women than men to use a sunbed. Some people think that using tanning beds is safer than actually going out in the sun. That is not true.
Leading doctors say, “All sunbed users should be given a compulsory warning that they are putting themselves at increased risk of skin cancer.” The chances of developing some tumors more than double with frequent sunbed use. “Occasional use can result in cancer, prematurely aged skin, eye damage, and suppression of the immune system,” Hope wrote. Other effects of too much sun are adverse reactions to cert a drugs, which results in rashes, loss of skin color and photosensitivity.