AGEING WELL
beware the
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WELLNESS FOR ALL
Take cover According to the Singapore Cancer Society, skin cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the country. In 2010 The Straits Times reported that the most common types of skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. “Although it’s been proven that cumulative exposure to the sun increases one’s risk of such types of cancers, some studies suggest that intermittent bursts of intense sun exposure are also detrimental to the skin,” says Dr Aw. What this means is that even the occasional trip to the beach or park on a sunny day can cause damage to your skin if you don’t use adequate sun protection. “Severe and acute sunburns also increase the risk of skin cancer,” says Dr Georgia Lee, director of TLC Lifestyle Practice. Repeated instances of five or more sunburns can double the risk of melanoma — the most common form of skin cancer. It is a disease that is now rising at a rapid rate across the United Kingdom. Barely heard of 20 years ago, it now claims 1,800 lives in the UK a year, and is growing at a faster rate than breast or prostate cancer. On top of skin cancer, constant sun exposure and repeated sunburns also hasten the ageing process of the skin through a process called photoageing.
PHOTO: Getty Images
o you’re jealous of a friend’s sun-‐kissed skin and made a silent vow to embark on the pursuit of the perfect tan. After all, it is relatively easy for us on this island, with its perpetual tropical weather, to achieve that bronze, healthy glow, right? Here’s the glaring truth: there is no such thing as a “healthy tan”. Clinical director and senior consultant at the University Dermatology Clinic, National University Hospital, Dr Derrick Aw says, “Skin tanning is a consequence of excessive sun exposure. It is a protective mechanism of the pigment cells of the skin to ‘over-‐produce’ pigment in order to prevent further sun damage to the skin. Therefore, it can never be considered healthy.” Sun protection is all the more important these days because the thinning of the ozone layer has made everyone more susceptible to skin-‐ damaging ultraviolet (UV) solar radiation. This radiation reaches the earth as long wavelengths known as UVA and short wavelengths known as UVB. Long-‐term exposure to UVA and UVB rays results in cumulative damage to the skin, causing sunburn, and resulting in pain, redness, swelling and peeling. It also increases the risk of skin cells turning abnormal, which could lead to skin cancer.
Despite its life-giving properties, too much sunlight can be damaging to the skin and can sometimes be lethal. By FAIROZA MANSOR