Health & Beauty

Stay safe in the sun...

Ilove this time of year. The longer days, lighter mornings and warmer weather makes me want to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. You only have to visit one of our nearby beaches on the fi rst hot day of the year to know I’m not alone!

As well as making outdoor activities more pleasant, the sun is also a vital source of Vitamin D. The current recommendation is that we should spend 20 minutes in the sun 2-3 times a week in the summer months to keep our Vitamin D levels topped up.

However, the appearance of the warmer weather is not all good news. Prickly heat, sunstroke and premature ageing are a few of the downsides of sun exposure, but the most concerning is the risk of skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK with over 100,000 new cases in the UK every year and causes over 2500 deaths. The more sun you are exposed to, the higher your risk of skin cancer.

The commonest type is a basal cell carcinoma or BCC. This often starts as a pearly raised nodule that grows very slowly and may start to look like a crater or bleed. We see these on sun exposed skin such as the face, chest, backs of the hands and on scalps of balding men in particular. Although this type of cancer does not spread to other parts of the body, unless it is removed it will continue to grow and can start to damage surrounding structures.

The next commonest of skin cancer that we see is a squamous cell carcinoma. Most commonly seen in those 75 or over and again in the areas of the body that get most sun. A classic place to discover one of these is the top of the ear . These cancers often look like warts, growing rapidly and crusting over or bleeding. It is vital that these are removed quickly as they can grow very quickly and then spread elsewhere.

Finally melanoma and perhaps the one that most people think about when they think of skin cancer. Whilst it is the least common it can be the most deadly, often aff ecting younger patients than the two commoner varieties.

It usually presents as a dark patch on the skin, occasionally arising from an existing mole. They often have an irregular border, may have diff erent shades of black or brown within them and can become itchy, infl amed or bleed. Occasionally we see melanomas in unusual places such as under a fi nger or toenail.

Anyone can get skin cancer, but those with fairer skin, red hair or freckles, who burn rather than tan are at a higher risk. There is no such thing as a safe tan and frequent skin burning has been directly linked to future skin cancer.

All skin cancers are curable if they are detected at an early stage so it is vital to see your GP if you think you might have found something new. They will usually be removed surgically, often under local anaesthetic. However the longer a skin cancer has been there, the larger it may become and more extensive surgery required. If a cancer has spread beyond the skin treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy can also be used. n

Dr Rachel Tyler is a doctor at

Stirling Road Surgery, St Budeaux

Enjoy your summer but reduce your risk • NEVER get sunburnt • Try and avoid the hottest time of the day from 11am – 3pm • Apply sun cream that is factor 30 or greater every 2 hours • Take extra care with babies and children – sun exposure now will increase their cancer risk later on in life • Wear clothes that cover your skin and a wide brimmed hat to protect your scalp, neck and face • Don’t be fooled by cloudy days, the harmful UV rays can still penetrate and cause damage • Avoid sunbeds

Are you worried about how much alcohol you drink?

Since the pandemic, more people than ever are struggling with their relationship with alcohol. At the start of this year, a record number of people googled ‘am I an alcoholic?’ Being worried that you may be an alcoholic is scary and lonely – you are probably feeling embarrassed and ashamed, and asking yourself how it came to this. Is it going to be possible for you to learn to moderate, or is your future going to be a life of daily AA meetings and a permanent feeling of deprivation?

Tabbin Almond, certifi ed coach, said: ‘You may well have tried to cut back but found that you couldn’t keep going. People often report waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning, heart racing, panicked by what they might have said or done the previous evening, and they will resolve not to drink the next day. But come the evening, the familiar battle will be going on in their head, and they will potentially cave in and tell themselves they will just have one drink… but it rarely is just one drink!

‘Then there’s the “rule-making”, like only drinking at weekends, or not drinking alone, or limiting the number of drinks. And sometimes those self-imposed rules stick - for a while at least. And we may even manage the odd full month. We know that when we aren’t drinking, we feel so much better – health, energy, relationships, appearance – everything improves.

‘But we don’t seem able to stick to it. Does any of this sound familiar to you? If so, you are certainly not alone, and the good news is that help is at hand.’

You can escape the pain, blame and shame of having a problem with alcohol. You don’t need to have a spectacular ‘rock bottom’ before regaining control and you don’t need to rely on willpower.

Tabbin has undergone rigorous, specialised coach training with Annie Grace, who has helped over a quarter of a million people redefi ne their relationship with alcohol. Her certifi cation allows her to use the ground-breaking This Naked Mind methodology and a science-based approach to making alcohol truly small and irrelevant in your life.

Annie Grace (her books start with ‘This Naked Mind’) and her unique approach is an absolute ‘game-changer’ said Tabbin. It is based on freedom (not deprivation), grace (not judgement or shame) and transforming whole lives (not just physical habits).

For more information contact Tabbin through her website (www.winetowatercoaching.com) to book a free and confi dential ‘discovery call’. n

Worried about how much you are drinking? Finding it hard to stick to just one or two?

As a certifi ed This Naked Mind coach, I can help you gain control, and change your relationship with alcohol.

QUALIFIED, NON-JUDGEMENTAL AND EFFECTIVE HELP IS AT HAND!

CERTIFIED COACH

Visit www.winetowatercoaching.com

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When Claire Boyle moved to the area, she knew Yelverton on the edge of Dartmoor was the perfect setting for her salon.

Realising its potential, Claire bought the salon (formerly Mirrors) at the start of 2018 and put her three-year plan in motion to gradually transform it - even Covid-19 didn’t set that back. She started at the core of the salon redesigning it with an ultra-modern décor, and then creating a professional yet lively, upbeat vibe with master cutters, colour and styling experts, and handpicked apprentices, before adding cutting-edge, upmarket products. As a natural pigment and mineral, ‘ochre’ represents the salon’s introduction of a more environmentally-friendly approach to hairdressing. Claire has joined Green Salon Collective, which aims to recycle or compost the industry’s waste products, such as foils, empty colour tubes, chemicals and PPE, as well as sharing information on sustainability. Claire is the main colour educator within the salon, having completed numerous colour master courses, and ensures the salon uses eco-friendly products, such as premium colour brand Wella Professionals, as well as making use of a refilling service and stocking a range of shampoo bars. Claire said: ‘We have precision cutters and brilliant styling experts, an extentionist who specialises in hair thickness, and even a very experienced barber every Friday and Saturday. ‘We strive to give our clients a relaxing salon experience, and their well-being is paramount to us - as well as of course making sure they leave with a gorgeous hair cut or colour! ‘We’ve created a place that gives high end hair within an easy going atmosphere - I felt this type of salon was missing and our clients really like what we have to offer.’ And on top of all of that, Ochre serves a tasty coffee and a delicious slice of cake during your visit - what more could you want! n

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THE ROCK COMPLEX

YELVERTON PL20 6DS

01822 853020

WWW.OCHREHAIRLOUNGE.CO.UK

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