Mind games and skin cancer are not the best of friends. While thinking about the subject of Melanoma, and how to talk about this form of skin cancer, you need clear facts with no confusion.
Melanoma is not something we can joke or kid about. Melanoma is a serious no holds skin cancer that can and will take your limb or life.
My understanding of this form of skin cancer is that it can be quick and deadly. Then there are the cases of Melanoma that last and last. Here are some general facts to help us start to understand.
When you receive the diagnoses of Melanoma, there is damage to your DNA or there are mutations in your skin cells that can lead to out of control cellular growth. This can result in a tumor. Remember the basics here, cancer is the out of control growth of your skin cells.
Most Melanoma has occurred because of excess or prolonged exposure to Ultraviolet rays. Fortunately, your immune system can repair some of these cells. But unfortunately, not all of them. Protect Your Kids & Teens From Melanoma
There is not a correct projection of this taking one exposure, or ten to start the out of control growth. Nor is there a correct projection of how many of your damaged cells will be repaired by your immune system, one or ten.
This gives you an idea of what you are working with. The gamble you are taking when you don’t protect yourself from the sun.
Your Risks
So while your body may manage some DNA damage and not get in trouble there are times when it can’t. That is when the cells will begin to reproduce themselves. Or your cells can start to overproduce as though it has lost the off and on switch for making healthy cells in a normal manner.
You are more at risk for the sun to do damage to the growth control DNA in your skins cells if you have light colored skin, and eyes. Add that to light or red hair and you can really have problems in the sun quick.
Added to your natural coloring from your DNA, there is also family history to consider. Do you have freckling or lots of moles on your body? Some research says that having over 100 moles on your body makes you more at risk as well.
Awareness
You will understand more about your level of risk and what causes Melanoma by keeping these facts in mind:
- Does Melanoma run in your family? At least one person in every ten families will receive the diagnoses of some form of skin cancer. The older you get the higher the numbers will be. Get check ups on a regular basis, yearly or more often as fits your risk level.
- Moles are also worrisome for some. If you have over 100 on your body check with your Dr soon. Another warning is a mole being larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
- Fair skin is of course high on the caution list. Your skin just doesn’t produce as much melanin as darker tones of skin. The sun can damage your skin quicker. Protect yourself.
- Don’t expose yourself to the sun carelessly if ANY of the warning signs are present for you.
- One other thing that is often overlooked is your personal wellness and immune system. If you are not healthy, you don’t need extra time in the sun without being sun wise and sun smart For some of us sun time just is not a good idea.
Melanian
So, with all the skin colors or tones, and the hair and eye colors- what actually happens to make a Melanoma develop and begin to grow? To get big enough to be a problem or so that you can see it?
Melanocytes are little skin cells that are found in the outer layer of your skin. These little Melanocytes produce a layer of color, that that will give you the bit of color in your skin.
This little Melancoyte will produce two kinds of melanin production. One is known as Eumelanin. The other is Pheomelanin.
When your skin is exposed to the Ultra Violet Rays from the sun, (or from man made sources) these little Melancoyte will sense a danger to your skin. This danger is the automatic switch for your body to turn on the melamine production.
Of the two kinds of melanin, eumelanin pigment is the one that tries to protect your skin by using melamine to tan and protect your skin.
When this happens, it is because your skin is trying to get a layer of protection between you and the sun. As only one kind of melamine can help protect your skin, often sun burning occurs before enough can be made in your skin to protect you.
If you are lighter and have fair skin, obviously your skin will need to manufacture a good bit more melamine than if your skin has darker tones.
Your skin is trying, but sometimes the job is too big to be done in time to keep you from a sunburn. You have to help protect yourself from excess sun. Keep your skin safe from sunburn. Be sun smart. Don’t become a victim of mind games and skin cancer.
Melanoma
In this process of trying to produce Melanian, the sun can damage a bit deeper and cause Melacanocytes to mutate. The cell will continue and try to reproduce itself and heal the wounds.
There is a chance that this time the Melacanoyte will be unable to heal itself because it is just more damaged than it has been all the times before. This time could be the time that the out of control regrowth of the cell trying to repair itself may result in a tumor.
About Melanin
Naturally, darker-skinned people have more Eumelanin and naturally fair-skinned people have more Pheomelanin. While Eumelanin has the ability to protect the skin from sun damage, Pheomelanin does not. That’s why people with darker skin are at lower risk for developing melanoma than fair-skinned people who, due to lack of Eumelanin, are more susceptible to sun damage, burning and skin cancer.
Skin Basics
While you have probably known forever how the Melamain affects your skin and how you need to take care of your skin, do you act on this information?
I often find that while I may know something, that is different from having it in my mind as an actual thing that I need to act on. When you have fairer skin and you burn easily, protection is important to your skin’s health.
You can pretend all you want that your light toned skin is as safe in the sun as your cousins’ deep toned skin. Your only making it harder to do what needs doing for yourself. Good sun safety habits will help your skin stay healthy and reduce the chances of skin cancers and melanoma.
Keeping your skin safe from cancer is the important thing here. Decide now to take control of your skins safety.
Mind games that stand in the way of practising safe sun exposure will not help you. The fact that your fairer colored skin will be damaged when you exp to the sun in a shorter time is something that you are now aware of.
Make your sun safety plan. Pack your safe skin toolbox and get ready for a summer of fun without overexposure to sun damage. You are now aware of some things you can do. You and your family can have a healthy summer.