UV Safe Eyes – our editor’s top 5 tips for choosing sunglasses

By Tina Cantelmi and Sophia Abud

Exposure to the sun’s UV rays has been linked to eye damage, including cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae, pterygia and photokeratitis, ailments that can lead to permanent or temporary vision loss. The right pair of sunglasses can provide a chic fashion statement and UVA protection.

Here, some details to consider when out to keep your peepers in top shape.

• Wrap it. Stylish and chic, close-fitting frames with side coverage help avoid UV ray exposure to the eyes.

• Go uniform. A uniform tint on sunglasses better protects the eyes.

• Total blockage: Look for styles that specifically block Ultraviolet rays. While some shades tote an OSHA label that states when lenses offer 99 or 100 percent UV protection, some lenses also boast that 99 percent of UVB rays are blocked. The double level of UV protection is in accordance with guidelines established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

• Choose no glare. Zero glare lenses are best for driving, sports, and all outdoor work and recreation.

• Clip on’s have come a long way baby. The newest clips on are easier and far less expensive than purchasing a separate prescription pair.

• Pricey does not always mean higher level of protection. Pricey sunglasses don’t necessary offer better protection. Less-expensive plastic frames and lenses can also provide effective UVA blockage.

• Don’t go strapless: Sport function and fashion with a strap. The simplest way to keep track of your sunglasses may be with a strap or “leash” found in myriad colors, materials and styles.

Oakley Jupiter Glasses: $100.00 – For the active set, a fashionable frame with comfortable grip decreases Ultraviolet ray damage to the eyes. High Definition Optics® with Oakley Men’s Sunglasses.”

Ray Ban 4105 Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses: $89.99 – Travel ready, these light-weight sunglasses offer 100% UV/UVB protection as well as scratch/impact resistant lenses. The coolest part: these glasses fold to fit even in the tiniest of places!

Gucci – GG 3063/S: $325.00 – Classic aviators fly high with retro flair. Gucci light-weight tortoise shell frames with lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection.

We own enough anti-aging creams and sunscreens (and anti-aging-plus-sunscreen moisturizers) to know that UV rays and wrinkles aren’t our friends. That’s why we try all kinds of ways to protect our skin, like scooping up this new yellow canvas hat Lauren Moffatt created for the Skin Cancer Foundation.

The five-inch brim with little gold grommets is wide enough to shield both your face and neck from the sun. And for days at the beach or the park, there’s a hidden pocket tucked inside for your secret stash of ice-cream money (or a travel-size bottle of sunscreen, of course).

But what we like most of all is that it benefits more than just you — 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the foundation.

The entire article can be found at New York Magazine’s Fashion.

$65 at Shop.LaurenMoffatt.net.

The Basics: Sun Sense Recommendations

By Isabelle Piermattio

Exposure from the sun causes aging, wrinkles and worse, as studies show, the sun often acts as a precursor to skin cancer. Thus, recommendations from the American Academy of Dermatology and the Center for Disease Control should be taken to heart.

Here, a few tips and reminders for the whole family.

• Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outside.

• Apply sunscreen before dressing, eliminating possible sunburn around sleeves, edges of clothing and/or swim attire.

• Apply sunscreen daily with SPF of 15 or more. Fair to medium skin toned people should consider higher SPF products, particularly for parts of the body with greater sun exposure including face, nose, upper chest, shoulders, top of feet, and hands.

• Apply ample amount of sunscreen, roughly one ounce, or equivalent of a “shot” glass to sufficiently cover the average adult.

• Reapply sunscreen after immersion in water, or activity.

• Stay in the shade when possible; wear a brimmed hat and consider clothing made of sun safe fabrics.

• Sport sunglasses, most preferably a large pair with wrap style, perfect for extra protection around the eyes. Outdoors, always use sunglasses that tote UV protective coating to help block UVA & UVB rays.

• Indoor Protection for Your Eyes – Individuals who tan indoors not only risk sun damage, aging and skin cancer, but without eye protection, they also risk eye damage, including retinal burns, and cataracts. Indoor tanners should always wear protective goggles. Sunglasses or towels will not offer enough protection from indoor equipment.

Never Burn Again

Protect Your Skin Against the Sun’s Fury

By Tina Cantelmi and Randy Lieberman

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., with more than one million Americans diagnosed each year, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists.

And while most people are well aware that sunbathing has an adverse effect on the health and appearance of their skin, many are unaware of the accumulation of incidental exposure received during the day. This exposure happens every day, whether walking the dog, driving a car or sitting in an office with lots of windows.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests daily use of a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15. Many doctors, including Dr. David Vasily, a board certified dermatologist, prefer to err on the side of caution, suggesting an SPF of 30 for patients. Dr. Vasily suggests sunscreen to be part of the morning regime, applied to the face, neck and upper chest, if exposed. The hands, may also age a great deal due to the sun, and, the sun’s harmful rays are a noted cause of many skin cancers.

There is no golden standard among sun-screen brands out there, but thankfully, sunscreens overall have improved greatly in the last decade by adding more protection against UVA radiation from the sun. From easy-to-apply powdered sunscreens to flawless spray-on-tans that allow five to seven days of wear, ongoing research and development means a cache of new and safer options for that healthy glow, minus the risk of skin cancer and premature aging from the sun.

New research has brought an over-the-counter sunscreen to store shelves that has an active ingredient never used before in the United States. The FDA recently approved Anthelios, made by L’Oreal, to prevent sunburn and protect against ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. The new product has an SPF of 15.

According to WebMD Health News contributor Miranda Hitti, Anthelios SX contains a mix of three active ingredients, one of which is ecamsule. Ecamsule has not been marketed in the U.S., but it’s been marketed in Europe and Canada as Mexoryl SX since 1993.

Mexoryl SX is “particularly effective against short UVA waves” and doesn’t degrade when exposed to the sun for long periods of time, unlike other UVA filters, said a L’Oreal news release.

Currently, most sunscreens, according to dermatologist Dr. Vasily, need to be reapplied every two to four hours for highest maximum protection against UVA and UVB radiation. Longer-lasting formulas that wear and remain stable throughout the day, say in the future, look for new mixtures of botanicals, including colloidal oatmeal, turmeric and antioxidants soon on drug store shelves.

Cancer risk jumps 75 percent if ultraviolet radiation device used before 30. International cancer experts have moved tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk category, deeming them as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas. For years, scientists have described tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation as “probable carcinogens.”

A new analysis of about 20 studies concludes the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before age 30. Experts also found that all types of ultraviolet radiation caused worrying mutations in mice, proof the radiation is carcinogenic. Previously, only one type of ultraviolet radiation was thought to be lethal. The new classification means tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation are definite causes of cancer, alongside tobacco, the hepatitis B virus and chimney sweeping, among others. The research was published online in the medical journal Lancet Oncology on Wednesday, by experts at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization. “People need to be reminded of the risks of sunbeds,” said Vincent Cogliano, one of the cancer researchers. “We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don’t think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan.”

Most lights used in tanning beds give off mainly ultraviolet radiation, which cause skin and eye cancer, according to the International Agency for Cancer Research. The classification of tanning beds as carcinogenic was disputed by Kathy Banks, chief executive of The Sunbed Association, a European trade association of tanning bed makers and operators. “The fact that is continuously ignored is that there is no proven link between the responsible use of sunbeds and skin cancer,” Banks said in a statement. She said most users of tanning beds use them less than 20 times a year.

But as use of tanning beds has increased among people under 30, doctors have seen a parallel rise in the numbers of young people with skin cancer. In Britain, melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, is now the leading cancer diagnosed in women in their 20s. Normally, skin cancer rates are highest in people over 75. Previous studies found younger people who regularly use tanning beds are eight times more likely to get melanoma than people who have never used them. In the past, WHO warned people younger than 18 to stay away from tanning beds.

Cogliano cautioned that ultravoilet radiation is not healthy, whether it comes from a tanning bed or from the sun. The American Cancer Society advises people to try bronzing or self-tanning creams instead of tanning beds.

Continue reading the entire story at The Today Show – Health: Skin Cancer.

As an adolescent, the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native basked in the sun every chance she got. “It was like a drug,” says the self accessories director, 39. “I loved the feeling of warmth on my skin, and I was never dark enough, so I always skipped SPF.” During high school, in pursuit of an everlasting glow, Gold walked into a tanning salon and sprang for an unlimited-access membership. (The shocking truth? Every day, approximately 1 million people visit tanning beds, according to the American Academy of Dermatology in Schaumberg, Illinois. That might explain why there are more indoor tanning salons than there are Starbucks or McDonald’s in many U.S. cities, as a study from San Diego State University reports.) Even in the dead of winter, Gold would hit the blue bed several times a month. After graduation, she headed to Arizona State University at Tempe, where she lounged with friends at campus pools in between studying to get straight As. “Lying outside made me feel good, and I thought it made me look good, too,” Gold says. (Tanning may be addictive in the same way alcohol and narcotics are, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology finds.)

Hedy Gold, melanoma at 31. Courtesy of Sonja Pacho / SELF

In 2001, Gold moved to New York City to pursue a career in the fashion industry. “I missed being in the sun so much,” says the naturally fair-skinned, green-eyed blonde (traits that further increase her risk). So she reunited with her beloved tanning beds as often as she could — sneaking in appointments a few times a month — a hobby that cost her hundreds of dollars a year. “I didn’t realize I was putting my life in danger,” she says. “Then I got a major wake-up call.”

A few weeks before starting a new job as an accessories editor at a magazine, Gold flew home to spend time with her family. Her father, a general-practice doctor in Michigan, noticed that a mole on the left side of her face seemed bigger, darker and a different shape than he had recalled; he suggested she get it checked out by a dermatologist — asap. “Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed the mole had changed until then,” Gold admits.

She scheduled an appointment with one of the dermatologists at Juva Skin and Laser Center in NYC the week she returned. Although the mole didn’t look abnormal — it wasn’t unevenly shaped, noticeably large or multicolored — she explained that its size and color had recently morphed. Because of Gold’s detailed description, her doctor elected to shave off a small piece of the growth (a noninvasive method often used to remove a few surface skin cells) so it could be biopsied.

A few days later, Gold got a phone call from her doctor: The small tissue sample had come back from the lab as abnormal. Within hours of hanging up, she went back to the derm’s office and learned that the growth was malignant melanoma in situ (a stage of melanoma that is confined to the skin’s upper layer but still has the potential to penetrate deeper into the dermis). “I was in complete shock,” Gold says. “I thought, How could I have skin cancer?”

“Her diagnosis was actually good news,” says Michael Bruck, M.D., director of Juva Skin and Laser Center, who removed Gold’s cancer. “It meant that if it was taken out, we’d have a cure. So that’s exactly what I did.” A week after the surgery, which required the excision of about a half inch of tissue and 3 inches of stitches, Gold went to Manhattan’s Bryant Park to attend Fashion Week, where she reviewed several designers’ shows along with her beautifully attired peers. “Everyone was concerned when they saw the large white bandage taped across my cheek,” Gold recalls. “I told my story to anyone who would listen to help raise awareness.” A test of tissue surrounding the growth came back as benign, which confirmed that the cancer had been completely removed.

Continue to read the entire story of three women’s lives affected by skin cancer at The Today Show – Health.

New Powdered Sunscreens Ease Application

Powdered sunblock can be applied on top of makeup

By Isabelle Piermattio and Randy Lieberman

New developments in UVA/UVB barriers have recently meant competitors racing to have the most SPF protection on the market, but another development is sure to turn women’s heads.

ColoreScience has developed a sun protection product, Sunforgettable, making it easier than ever for women to apply sunscreen over makeup.

Sunforgettable combines the convenience of SPF 30 sunblock in a mineral powder with UVA and UVB protection. The powder comes with different applicators to roll, brush or shake to apply the sunscreen on top of makeup.

Sunforgettable is designed for the face, neck, upper chest and shoulders, making it easy and virtually undetectable application of sunscreen.

The neatly packaged brush applicator comes in a tube roughly the size of a cigar and is available online. The five Sunforgettable options each ensure smooth and even protection, as well as make it easy to carry around for touch-ups throughout the day. The different applicators include an SPF 30 brush, orb, shaker can, roller ball and sun salve.

The CDC says, “Tan skin is damaged skin.” There’s no other way to put it, and the World Health Organization (WHO) agrees. The WHO repeatedly condemns the safety of tanning beds, claiming they are unsafe due to high levels of UVA radiation and that skin cancer is on the rise by those, primarily the young, who use them.

For a bronzed look with more of a “bang,” spray or airbrushed tans have gained popularity among Hollywood celebrity A-Listers.

UV-Free Tanning as a form of instant tanning that uses an airbrush or spray with DHA (hihydroxyacetone) to create a darker glow on the uppermost layers of the skin.  Customers are misted for several seconds with a special solution of DHA, natural bronzers, nourishing moisturizers, copper and vitamins A, E, and C.  The result, properly, is a natural looking tan that lasts 5-7 days.”

The Ancient Art of Looking, Feeling Oh So Much Younger

By Isabelle Piermattio

Face it, women of Asian descent often look so fabulously young. Could it be their diet? Supplements? Or, the manner in which they express emotion and facial expressions?

All of the above, says Dr. Ming Ming Molony, who also professes the use of acupressure and pressure to points for an au natural, truly affordable facelift.

Dr. Molony, recently released the DVD “The Ancient Art of the Acupressure Facelift,” shows the natural, super affordable way to a rejuvenating facelift, all for less than pennies a day.

The Chinese acupressure facelift is the natural way to achieve a youthful radiant appearance, increase circulation, reduce double chin, eye wrinkles, forehead wrinkles, jaw pain, stress, headaches and more. The program instructs how to use facial exercises and acupressure points to tone facial muscles, and soothe the skin.

“Looking younger naturally is possible with little effort, no surgery and no expensive topical creams,” says Ming Ming, a native of China. Ming practices Chinese medicine, acupuncture and acupressure in northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, author, speaker and Chinese medicine practitioner, Dr. David Molony, who in 2006, was the first ever Caucasian to earn the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Renji Award.

Both Drs. Ming Ming and Dr. David Molony are featured on the DVD. The Chinese Acupressure Facelift is available online.

For more information on the DVD please call (610) 266-6110 or visit the Amazon.com store.

If you want to be outdoors, but you do not want skin cancer, try to avoid the sun between the hours of 10 and 2, especially in the summer. If you do go out during this time, wear sun-blocking clothes…

Please continue reading the rest of the article here at the Brooklyn Eagle, as written by Cynthia MacKay Keegan, M.D.