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THE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER NEWSLETTER
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When the sun isn’t fun
fly Sheri Helms ™
Ah, Spring... it ushers in
thoughts ot warm; sunny
days; sunnv days that will
bring enough sunshine to
give1 us that golden-bron/e
tan ot health. But is that
tan very healthy? Accord
ing to the American C an
cer Society, over 600,000
new cases ot skin cancer
are reported each year and
90 percent ot all skin can
cers appear on parts of the
bodv we don't usually cov
er with clothing such as the
face, tips of ears, and the
hands. One ot the leading
risk factors to skin cancer
is excessive exposure to the
sun. So, before vou rush
out into the sun take some
time to learn how to pro
tect vour skin.
The sun rays that cause
vour skin to tan are ultra
violet A and B rays. When
these ravs reach vour bodv
they trigger a pigment in
your skin called melanin.
The melanin absorbs the
ravs; and as your bodv
contacts with more sun
light, the melanin rises to
the skin's surface creating
a tanned effect. 1’he mela
nin is actually trying to de
fend vour skin from the
INSIDE
SMART
SNACKING
THE DIET
MYTH
WHICH AEROBIC
CLASS IS BEST
FOR ME?
harmful effects of tho sun's
radiation: sunburns, cata
racts, premature aping of
tin* skin, and skin cam ts
to namo a tow
Some people' have more
melanin in their skm than
others. The fairer vour
skin, the less melanin \ on
have, which means tin- less
natural protection vou
haw against UV ravs and
the higher your risk of skin
cancer. Although it is com
mon tor us to think that
only fair-skinned people
need to use sunscreen,
even those with a darker
complexion can benefit
from sunscreen. Tor exam
ple, the depletion ot the
o/one layer <a layer in the
atmosphere that biters out
mueh ot tin1 sun's radi
ation) w ill allow more l: V
rays to hit the earth, and
von, in more intense con
»,entratiims 1 he f- [’.A. es
timates that tor every one
percent depletion ot the
o/one layer there will be a
bee percent increase in
skin cancer rates. 1 he loss
ot the o/one layer de
creases the amount ot time
you are able to spend in
the sun safely, unless you
use a sunscreen.
Sunscreen acts like mela
nin, absorbing in l V rays,
and giving you more pro
tection from the sun.
( house a sunscreen based
i'll vour complexion 11 uni
haw a fair complexion, ibi1
a sunscreen with an SIM
(sun protection factor)
number ot s to 1 S. If your
complexion is darker use a
sunscreen with a lower
SI*i number. 2 to b. SPI;
numbers tell how much
added protection the sun
screen gives. l or example,
it vou c.m only stay in the
sun tor an hour before
you burn, a sunscreen with
an SPI- ot h will let you
stay in the sun for three
hours without burning (six
times as long as usual). As
your tan becomes darker
you can use a lower SPF
sunscreen.
It is best to apply the
sunscreen 1/2 hour to one
hour before sunbathing so
it can be absorbed and
won't be easily washed
away it you perspire. And
don't let those clouds fool
you! Although clouds filter
out much of the sun's light
and heat, clouds let up to
SO percent of the UV radi
ation through.
So, take the initiative this
Spring to start a healthy
habit, and a healthy tan
USE SUNSCREEN. You'll
thank yourself!
FROM THE HIP
Do you know what
your cholesterol
number is7
C omo to 1 leu 1th hduca
tion :n the Student
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more information call
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Iwivn 10 a m. and 3
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sun is .i leadinj’ risk
Oh !i>r oi skin iala er
I hi' American ( aucer
Sh icty estiw.lies there
are S.A*! ,f .: , aiaer
deaths anmialH m the
t S Su in' sure !t> use a
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