Blog 1; Is The Jersey Shore “glow” Worth The Health Risks?

Post date: Sep 13, 2011 3:58:53 AM

After a long, sweaty, hot, busy day at the University of Arizona it is only necessary to take a splash at the Campus Rec pool to cool down. I had not been to the pool the entire summer, until last week. After spending almost a year shadowing Dr.Hu, a dermatologist at Specialists in Dermatology, I began to understand the health risks that come with tanning. Along the poolside I noticed how many girls do not go to the pool to get wet, but rather they like to stretch out on a towel and allow the sun to soak into their skins. I have to bite my tongue to hold myself from screaming, “The tan look is your skins cry for help!” That Guido-style, tan, that society finds so attractive is actually an injury response from the skin cells.

Many people argue that sunbathing is to receive that healthy dose of Vitamin D your body needs, but this can be obtained from merely walking around campus to get to your classes or taking your dog out for a walk. Dr. Marcia Driscoll, a dermatologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center explains that lying out in the sun for a prolonged period of time ensures that UV rays from the sun cause damage to skin cells. Repeated damage will weaken skin cells, and eventually they will not be able to repair themselves. At this point, the chance of having Melanoma drastically increases.

The American Academy of Dermatology says that Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer, and is the most deadly form of skin cancer. A method in determining if you have Melanoma is called, ABCDE’s. ABCDE’s was a proposed method that a group of New York Dermatologists came up with.

Each letter stands for a characteristic of a mole that could determine whether a person has Melanoma.

A is Asymmetry

B is Border Irregularity

C is Color (multiple colors)

D is Diameter (bigger than pencil eraser)

E is Evolution (so how much has the mole changed)

I can’t stress how important it is to be careful, when you are exposing yourself to the sun. I think that many people are aware that skin cancer is a potential risk factor of tanning, but I feel like many girls and guys would much rather “look-good” today, than have healthier skin. On Extra, the cast of Jersey Shore had an intervention, where Dr. Sarnoff sat the cast down and explained the dangers of skin cancer. Jersey Shore Intervention. Before the intervention the cast members talked about how they love the color and that there should be a tanning bed in everyone’s home. Dr. Sarnoff talked about patient’s who died from cancer, and showed them age-progression photos of what they would look like in 20 years if they continued tanning the way they have been. At the end of the intervention, the cast members expressed their concern for tanning and they would only participate in artificial spray tanning. With all this information about the damage UV rays from the sun can do to your skin, we should all be more considerate about the amount of time we spend in the sun. Taking preventative measures like, wearing sunscreen and hats is also a great way to lighten the damage from the UV rays. A temporary tan is not worth the skin problems. The key to a beautiful glow is toaccept the skin you’re in, for a healthier future.

References

Alisoun, Amelia. Tan Girl for Show. Digital image. Wordpress. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. <http://ameliaalisoun.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/249/>.

Carroll, Malissa. "The Dangers of Tanning." University of Maryland Medical Center | Home. 10 July 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://www.umm.edu/features/tanning.htm>.