Skin

Skin Facts

SPF= Sun Protection Factor

SPF 15- means if you burn in the sun after 10 minutes, then with the SPF 15, you can stay in the sun 150 times longer (10 X 15= 150) before burning. 

·        SPF 15 filters about 93% of the sunlight.

·        SPF 30 filters about 97% of sunlight.  (30 is not twice as strong as 15!)

·        http://skincancerstage.laughlin.com/prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/sunscreens-explained

UVA vs UVB-

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb/understanding-uva-and-uvb

          UVA= Long light waves—responsible for wrinkles

          UVB= Short light waves—responsible for tanning/burns

UV light is the main cause of non-melanoma cancers!!

Wrinkles:

·         Skin ages all over the body, but much more so where there has been sun exposure. Changes brought on by sun damage (photoaging) include "dryness" (really roughness), sagginess, skin growths like keratoses ("liver spots"), and wrinkles.

·         Wrinkles in turn can be divided into two categories; fine surface lines and deep furrows. Wrinkle treatments are in general much more effective for fine lines. Deeper creases may require more aggressive techniques, such as plastic surgery.

·         Factors that promote wrinkling include smoking; skin type (people with light-colored skin and blue eyes are more susceptible to sun damage); heredity (some families wrinkle more); hairstyle (depending on how much skin is covered by hair and protected from the sun); dress (again, by determining which skin is exposed); and occupational and recreational sun exposure over the course of many years.

·         Treatments available for wrinkles include medical treatments (such as vitamin A acid, alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants, and moisturizer) and cosmetic procedures (such as glycolic acids peels, deep peels, dermabrasion, laser resurfacing, surgical procedures, and Botox).

·         The number of epidermal cells decreases by 10% per decade and they divide more slowly as we age making the skin less able to repair itself quickly.  The epidermal cells become thinner and less sticky.

Information from: http://www.medicinenet.com/wrinkles/page2.htm#glance

·         Botox for wrinkles!- check out more information of this toxin/medicine at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin

Tattoos:

Permanent insoluble ink that is placed about 1 millimeter into the dermis layer of the skin.

Check it out here:  http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/tattoo.htm