Sun Tanning Results


Your Suntan Looks Great!!

A real suntan, on the right skin type, is a thing of true beauty. It looks so natural looking, and so healthy looking. Irrespective of what we intellectually know about how the sun can harm our skin, we grab that blanket and radio, bottle of tanning lotion, and lie under the sun or tanning bed, soaking up those sun rays. Feels great, doesn't it? But who is kidding who? It's time to invoke the Eleventh Commandment: "Thou Shall Not Kid Thyself."


After you soak up those sun rays, your skin has literally been tortured. Your DNA has been forever altered and leathery skin and sun spots are just "down the road." The sunlight has forever, subtly, changed the look and feel of your skin. Each time you sun bathe, the sun's rays subtly adds to the cumulative effect, and makes that "down the road" closer and closer. It's time to come out of self–denial and begin to engage in healthy habits for a healthier lifestyle, and a more youthful skin.


A real suntan carries with it health risks, which include:
  • Skin cancer;
  • Actinic keratoses (a lesion that can progress to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread);
  • Burns (skin and eyes);
  • Cataracts;
  • Premature aging (developing age spots, wrinkles, and other signs of aging years before these naturally occur);
  • Weakened immune system, which increases risk of infections and skin cancer.

Age Spots

Age spots are also known as brown spots, liver spots, lentigos, lentigines, and sun spots. They are all the same, but with for some unknown reason, have different names.


What causes age spots? The sun does! Age spots are flat, brown to dark brown, and vary in size from a small pea to a dime. They usually are somewhat round and have irregular borders. They are found on chronically sun–exposed areas such as the shoulders, upper back, face, forearms, and the back of hands.


Age spots have nothing to do with how old you are, they are directly associated with the cumulative effect of sun exposure. The pigment producing cells in the skin (called melanocytes) are activated to produce more pigment (melanin) by the sun's rays. While these spots are not themselves cancerous, you may be at risk for skin cancer if you have them.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion - Age Spots

As we age our skin is subjected to more and more sun damage. Our skin has what is called (melanin pigment) which absorbs sunlight and helps naturally protect our skin from the sun's / tanning bed's rays. However as we age, our skin's natural ability to fend off the sun's / tanning bed's rays begins to deteriorate, and as a result, we see the development of age spots.


Age spots increase with age (since you have more accumulated sunlight exposure) and with increased sun exposure. They are more common in people who freckle and who burn easily. It is important to know that if you've had enough sun to develop age spots, you have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.


If you see any pigmented lesion on your skin, the most important thing is to not assume it is benign. If you notice a lesion on your skin, especially if it has any changes in color or shape, you should see a dermatologist to determine if they are cancerous or something to be concerned about (read more about this at Skin Cancer Early Detection).



Freckles

Freckles are clusters of concentrated melanin (skin pigment that gives skin its color) which are most often visible on people with a fair complexion. A freckle is also called an "ephelis." Individuals with Skin Types I and II are particularly likely to have freckles. Sunlight can accentuate freckles, which are light brown patches usually less than 0.5 cm in diameter. They are found on the skin of individuals mostly with red or blonde hair, and blue or gray eyes.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion - Freckles on Back


There is a direct relationship with exposure to sunlight / tanning bed and the appearance of freckles. In fact, an increase in size, number, and darkness of pigmentation occurs significantly during the summer months. During the winter months, freckles tend to disappear. Freckling occurs because the body produces the dark pigment melanin as protection against sunlight.


Genetics plays a large role, and individuals of Celtic descent are most likely to have freckles. Age can also play a role, with freckles first appearing about the age of five, and eventually disappearing as a person becomes older. The best way to manage freckles is to avoid direct exposure to the sunlight (sun and tanning bed). Wearing protective clothing is mandatory when outside. Of course, people with freckles have their own beauty and natural freckles are nothing to hide!


Cancer

Skin cancer may be the result of heavily–overexposed sunlight / tanning bed. It can result from too much sun or too much tanning bed. Tan skin from UV–light is not healthy skin. For a better understanding of how sunlight / tanning beds can cause cancer, read Skin Cancer from Sun.



Melasma

Melasma, or (chloasma,) or the (mask of pregnancy) as it is also called, is another skin condition that discolors the skin with tan or brown spots. Melasma is worsened by sunlight / tanning bed exposure. It is most commonly found among women, especially pregnant women, or those taking hormone replacement therapy medications.


Generally, the symptoms include dark patches and spots on the cheeks, nose, forehead or upper lip. They may develop and worsen over time. Melasma is a purely cosmetic concern, though any unusual spotting should be diagnosed by a dermatologist to determine if it is skin cancer.


Genetics, hormones (such as estrogen and progesterone) and extrinsic factors (such as sun exposure) are thought to be the cause of melasma. Hormones stimulate the production of melanocytes, the pigment–producing cells in our skin, as they become exposed by the sun. The increased melanin production causes the spotting we see with melasma.