Kerri-Lee's Blog

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday-- just going through some of the news today, and checking out various headlines.  This one caught my eye for a couple of reasons.  Read it, then I'll explain.

Tanning Salon Patrons Are Not All Young, Local Expert Says

by KYW's Lynne Adkins

A local researcher has found that tanning salons are not just for teens getting ready for prom. 

Older Americans are throwing out the sunscreen and heading off to the tanning salon in surprising numbers. Dr. Carolyn Heckman (right), a behavioral researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center, surveyed more than 29,000 adults and found that 14% of people in their 40s and 10% above 50 use tanning beds, putting themselves at a higher risk for skin cancer:

"Absolutely, I was surprised that older adults were indoor tanning, especially because skin cancer, like all cancers, occurs more often in older adults, so they are at a more immediate risk of skin cancer."

She says skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in this country.

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I remember sitting in the doctor's office at the campus health center at Arizona State University waiting for a routine checkup, when I looked up and saw a picture of an alligator's skin closeup.  The caption read: Lay out in the sun, and just think, your skin will look like this too!

I looked at my own brown glow, and thought, yikes.  Would it really look like that?  I was 22, I couldn't imagine wrinkles, and frankly didn't really care to think about "down the road..."  I was worried about "now," and that meant baking in the sun every spare hour I had between classes. 

Not sure what changed, but as I entered my late 20's, I decided to get out of the sun, "Go With My Own Glow," something I wouldn't have been able to believe possible since I had been such a sun worshipper. I was on the Eastcoast at this point, and though I was loving weekends down the shore, I was worried that it was all going to catch up with me.  Skin has a long memory, the doctors say...

Well, now I'm 36 and I'm thinking of trying a "Summer in the Sun" again.  I miss that golden glow, and a 10-year break-- doesn't that count for something? 

This article has me rethinking things again (buzzkill).  Thought I'd share it, just in case your conscience also needs to be reminded of the risks of skin cancer,no matter what your skin type.  I'm still going to do the sun thing this summer, but I'm going to lather up with sunscreen.

Isn't this a pretty picture of the Jersey Shore-- How many days until Memorial Day?

LOL

KL