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Author:
Anitta Viali

I remember about 20 years ago, all the commercials were praising Coppertone for helping to get sun tan. Now we have gone in another extreme: sun all of a sudden has become an enemy and we all need protection, otherwise we get skin cancer. People are spending billions on buying sun blockers. Let us see, what is the evidence that sun causes skin cancer. As usual, there are some statistics to support it: Southern states have more cases than Northern, white people more often have skin cancer than blacks.

On the other hand, skin cancer often appears on the parts of body, which are never exposed to sun. Less than 10,000 people die from skin cancer in US each year. To place this in proper perspective, people in United States are 10 times more likely to be killed in a hospital due to a medical error or twice as likely to be shot to death by a gun. People are now spending billions on the so-called sun-blockers, trying to save themselves from something, which does not threaten them at all: out of 300 sun-baders, 299 never get skin cancer.

If the sun was really responsible for skin cancer, should not the number be much greater? Last, but not least: if sun were the cause of skin cancer, introduction of sun-blockers would have significantly reduced the cases of skin cancer. It did not.

Anitta Viali is a freelance writer interested in items such as maintaining a healthy skin, and removal solutions for wrinkles and dark eye circles

| Article Keywords: Skin Cancer

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Skin Cancer... Myths About Skin Cancer - Are You Really Safe? Sara spends much of her summer near the beach. She lives in a mild climate and is very athletic. She loves to swim, bike and play games outdoors. Sara knows the dangers of the sun and so she opts for tanning salons to get her 'golden glow' while being sure to apply sunscreen every day before heading out. Joseph lives in a cooler, northern climate. The summers can be very humid, but most of the year is mild or even below freezing during the harshest winter months. The beach has never been much of a draw for him and he spends most of his time doing indoor activities or at his job. Joseph doesn't worry about sunscreen and only had one sunburn that he can remember and that was when he was a child. -------------------- Which of these examples do you most associate yourself with? Did you know that Sara and Joseph are both at risk of developing skin cancer? We have all heard the warnings about the dangers of sun exposure. We know all about the importance of wearing sunscreen and hats. But are YOU protected from skin cancer? Consider these myths and facts: MYTH ONE: Tanning Beds are Safer than the Sun 20 minutes of exposure in a tanning bed is roughly equivalent to four hours in the sun. Although sun beds use UVA rather than UVB rays, 'The Skin Cancer Answer' states that "UV-A penetrates more deeply into the skin than UV-B, can cause skin cancer, and may suppress the immune system." MYTH TWO: Wearing Sunscreen at the Beach is Protection 85 percent of UV rays can even make it through on cloudy days. That means you are equally at risk in the car, walking the dog or letting your children out to play at any time of year - even when you're not at the beach. Of course, you are usually less attired at the beach and so covering...