This article discusses the role of melanin in your skin and the harmful effects that UV exposure has on it. UV radiation has been the main suspect in the appearance of melanoma. Though UV radiation is said to be the cause of malignant melanoma, many studies have failed to prove that definitively that it is the cause. Malignant melanoma is roots from epidermal melanocyte. These skin cells are the reason behind the creation of…
Your patient, a 26 year old woman, hasn’t been able to get in the sun as much as she did as a teenager. She’s very self conscious about her veins in her skin and wants to know what she can do to make her skin look better. She has questions about sunless tanners.…
Vitiligo occurs when the body attacks the cells that control skin pigmentation. The areas that are attacked then cause smooth, white patches to form on the body when the skin loses pigment. These patches often form on the hands and face. Vitiligo on the scalp causes white hair to grow from that area. It is not a painful condition, but people who have it are often sensitive about the way they look. Only around one percent of the population is affected by this condition.…
Vitiligo is a condition in which white patches develop on the skin. Any location on the body can be affected and most people with vitiligo have white patches on many areas of the body.…
Age spots form when the skin produces an excess amount of pigment called melanin. This pigment is what gives your skin its normal color. Age spots are also called liver spots and sunspots and are usually flat brown or black spots on the areas of the skin that are most often exposed to the sun such as face, shoulders and forearms. They can also form when the skin is exposed to artificial tanning such as heat lamps and tanning beds. Age spots may develop on younger people if they spend a lot of time in the sun. Men and women of any skin color can develop age spots.…
People are now seeing the truth, but even if they know what's happening to them it's important to know the reasons it's happening . To get down to basics there are five clinical types of melanoma. The most common form is called the superficial spreading melanoma and it about 70% of all melanoma cases. It is commonly found on the truck in men and on the legs in woman (Joan 4). Many people get confused on what melanoma is. Melanoma is a tumor of melanin-forming cells, melanin cells are cells that have turned dark brown by the overexposure of sun. Basal and squamous are a less deadly form of skin cancer also caused by the overexposure of sun. It's important for us to know why skin cancers specifically the more deadly ones like melanoma are spreading and the answer is very clear. While basal and squamous cell cancers tend to invade locally, melanoma spreads very quickly to other parts of the body ( Egan 6). The unfortunate part is that people today are finally getting the information they need. In the past people didn't know that sun burns and not wearing sunscreen could affect them so much in the future. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at least once ( Steve 6). Although the number is still increasing with more awareness it can be easy to…
Psychological and sociological models have both been used to explain the personal and social consequences of physical disfigurement. Disfigured individuals frequently report severe difficulties in social encounters which hinder their ability to lead a normal life. Vitiligo is a disfiguring skin disorder which causes a progressive depigmentation of skin. The cause of the disease is yet unknown and there is no commonly used treatment. Although the disease carries no attendant health complications, its accompanying social implications can have a significant psychological effect on sufferers. Research reveals a high levels of distress in people with vitiligo compared to the general population. This paper will analyze the psychosocial effects of…
It is important that melanoma is identified early because it is a very treatable disease if caught early. In fact, the majority of melanoma cases that are diagnosed yearly are at a very early stage and can be managed with surgery alone. Therefore, any mole that has changed or any new, abnormal appearing skin lesions should be promptly evaluated by a physician.…
It restores the youthful shape and fullness of the face and improves the color and pigmentation of the skin.…
There are several factors that contribute to the cause of BCC. These factors include, light colored skin, light colored eyes, blonde or red hair, overexposure to x-rays or radiation, many moles, genetics, many severe sunburns early in life, and long term daily sun exposure (Medline Plus, 2012). Individuals with light colored skin, hair, and eyes have poor tanning abilities and are more likely to have sun-damaged skin (Roewart-Hober, 2007). Radiation therapy in childhood for ringworm on a 58 year old patient caused an aggressively growing BCC that took over most of the posterior scalp (Asilian, 2005). Genetics also contribute to your likelihood of getting a BCC. A family history of skin cancer can increase your chances of having a BCC (Skelton, 2009). Also, there is several inherited and acquired skin disorders associated with BCC. These disorders include xeroderma pigmentosum, nevoid basal cell syndrome, Bazex-syndrome, Rasmussen syndrome, Rombo syndrome, and albinism (Roewert-Hober, 2007). Although there are several contributing factors to BCC, the number one cause is sun exposure and other ultraviolet…
Yes, Everyone has some risk of skin cancer. Most skin cancers are associated with ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds, and many people of color are less susceptible to UV damage thanks to the greater amounts of melanin (the protective pigment that gives skin and eyes their color) darker skin produces. But people of color can still develop skin cancer from UV damage. Additionally, certain skin cancers are caused by factors other than UV such as genetics or other environmental influences and may occur on parts of the body rarely exposed to the sun.…
As early as the 1930’s, sun tanning was encouraged by medical professionals to promote skin health. Scientific research during the late 1890’s played a huge role in contributing to the skin diseases we now know to exist today. During the turn of the 19th century, there was a chronic and progressive disease known as Lupus Vulgaris. The disease left infected individuals with painful cutaneous skin sores. Lesions appeared on individuals around the face, nose, lips, cheeks, ears and eyelids and proved resistant to all treatment leaving individuals with disfiguring skin ulcers. It was not until 1896 when a physician and scientist named Niels Ryberg Finsen discovery the relationship between sunlight and the deficiency of vitamin D in patients. Based on his findings, “he demonstrated that the most refractive rays form the sun may have a stimulating effect on the tissues”. (“Niels Ryberg Finsen”). The breakthrough used “concentrated light radiation”, now known as Photobiomodulation, to be beneficial in use to treat diseases like Lupus Vulgaris and proved to be successful. (“Niels Ryberg Finsen”). The success of these light treatments went on to win Finsen the Nobel Prize Award in 1903 in Physiology/Medication for his findings. Later by the 1930’s medical professions encouraged individuals to gain sun exposure to promote healthy levels of vitamin D and people began to spend more leisure time in the sun. (Randle, 2010). Eventually, the development of sunlamps, commercial tanning beds, and tanning salons came into our lives. Perhaps today, we may consider this to offer the beginning of the melanoma epidemic. Although it cannot pinpoint as when the melanoma epidemic began, but it could very well have attributed to it.…
One unpleasant aspect of genetic disease is that often they come unexpectedly and with little warning. A few summers ago, my little sister [Lisa]’s face began to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Her skin, once bronze and glistening, began turning white as death and splotchy. My sister’s precious forehead, hair and eyelids began to look like a pale jigsaw puzzle, interrupting her once perfect complexion. This genetic disorder, vitiligo, has permanently changed her appearance and her daily life. I looked on angrily, frustrated by my helplessness, as doctors prescribed her various treatment creams, but offered no cure. My love for my little sister and unrelenting wish for her happiness fueled me to seek the source of her problem – which lies in genetic research.…
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder, easily identified by its symptoms of white, scaly skin and red lesions, though not so easily cured or understood. In psoriasis, skin cells mature faster than the body can shed them, causing a buildup. Although there are many theories as to what the cause of such a disease might be genetics, stress, or other triggers no one is quite sure why the disease occurs, or what could be a possible way to fully cure it. In this essay we will explore the symptoms, types, and effects of this condition, and also some of the known treatments.…
* MIXTO Laser- A fast-healing laser treatment that has FDA approval for Melasma and Chloasma and Sun-induced hyper pigmentation…