Sunscreen lesson: Truck driver shows extreme sun damage on one side of face

[vancity_cowboy]

tanning salons have been taking a lot of flak from the safety bugs lately, and i'm normally not one to pile on, but the article below is so alarming that i thought this might be a good place to air it because so many escorts spend a lot of time tanning

tanning salons block most of the ultraviolet B but not the ultraviolet A. ultraviolet A is apparently what caused the aging in the picture below

the question is, how do we reverse the cultural programming that pasty looking skin is not sexy looking skin?

i'm beginning to believe that this is a serious topic that deserves some serious discussion

thoughts?

A startling photo published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows the long-term effects of sun exposure, but only on one side of the face.

Sixty-nine-year-old delivery-truck driver Bill McElligott spent 28 years with the left side of his face exposed to the sun. Subsequently, while the right side of his face is aging quite well, the left side looks considerably older than the right.

Dr. Jennifer R.S. Gordon, the doctor who treated the patient, tells the Toronto Star that she'd "never seen sun damage that one-sided," adding, "Sideways, he looks like two different people."

McElligott, who started using sunscreen three years ago, is set to undergo laser resurfacing on his left side.

While he shows no signs of skin cancer — his milk-truck windows blocked the cancer-causing UVB rays — he is still at high risk, Gordon warns:

"Skin cancer is usually the result of 20 to 30 years accumulation. Lots of people his age are starting to develop it."

Ultraviolet A (UVA) light from the sun, which can cause deep damage in the skin, can easily penetrate window glass and even light clothing, Gordon tells LiveScience.

"We think its because it (UVA) can penetrate more deeply into the skin than UVB and affect your collagen and elasticity," Gordon tells ABC News. "When you destroy those, that's what gives you the aging appearance that we see."

McElligott first sought treatment three ago for his uneven sun damage — called "unilateral dermatoheliosis" — after his grandchildren started asking about his two-faced appearance.

"Only reason I went in, the kids were asking me what these bumps are and it's hard to explain to little kids, so I went to see if I could have those bumps removed," he tells ABC News.

The moral of this story? Wear sunscreen.

Which brand is best? "The one you will use," Gordon says. Find a water-resistant sunscreen with a consistency you like — and wear it daily.

By Nadine Bells | Shine On – Fri, 8 Jun, 2012 11:03 AM EDT

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/shine-on/sunscreen-lesson-truck-driver-shows-extreme-sun-damage-150359211.html

 

[vancity_cowboy]

i'm thinking 'peaches and cream' complexion rather than 'california bronzed' complexion now

 

[violetblake]

I stay out of the sun like a vampire lol. But almost every client of mine compliments me on my pale skin (and how smooth it is because of no sun damage). So there are tons and tons of people who don't jump on the tan bandwagon and appreciate the pale women like me! lol. But I think whatever someone's natural skin colour is looks great on them, it's when you try and do something that isn't natural for you and just doesn't work for you that you end up looking silly lol. And of course skin cancer would be the main reason to be careful with the sun.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

Just saying...