DONATE TO SKCINWE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE HELP US TO STOP SKIN CANCER TAKING MORE LIVES. WE ARE HUGELY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.Sunbeds are not safe - FACT! UV radiation from sunbeds can cause serious and irreparable damage and cause melanomaSkin cancer is the UK’s most common and fastest rising cancer. It is now one of the biggest cancer killers in 15-34 year olds.LEARN MORESolar Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) is a known carcinogen. It cannot be seen or felt and is the primary cause of skin cancerLEARN MORESunburn is a reaction to UV radiation and is a clear sign that you have seriously damaged your skin.LEARN MOREWorried about Vitamin D? Know the facts and how much sun we need to produce the required daily levels.LEARN MOREOur skin is our body’s largest organ that performs a variety of vital functions - learn how UVR affects and damages our skinLEARN MOREAll skin types can be damaged by UVR, but some skin types and family history of skin cancer can mean you are more at riskLEARN MOREThe Problem And FactsSolar UV RadiationThe Solar UV ForecastOur Skin - The FactsSunbeds - The FactsSunburn - The FactsAre You At Risk?
The Vitamin D DebateReal Life StoriesNeed to Talk?Sunbeds are not safe - FACT!The World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiation, from both the sun and artificial UV tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans. However, the intensity of UV rays in some sunbeds can be more than 10 times stronger than the midday Mediterranean sun! Using sunbeds for the first time before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by 59%. Regular sunbed use under the age of 30 increases the risk of skin cancer by an alarming 75%! Short, intense and irregular UV exposure, like you receive from sunbed use is the fastest way to damage your skin. Damage increases with each session, is irreparable and can lead to melanoma - one of the biggest cancer killers in 15-34 year olds in the UK! Recent statistics from Cancer Research UK have shown an alarming increase in malignant melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) among women in their 20's and sunbeds are believed to be a contributory factor.
The binge-tanning epidemic that is prevalent amongst young women in this country has propelled malignant melanoma above cervical cancer making this deadliest form of skin cancer the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in their 20s for the first time. A recent study in the US has revealed that more skin cancer cases are a direct result of sunbed use than lung cancer cases caused by smoking! A study published by JAMA Dermatology "International Prevalence of Indoor Tanning - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." The number of skin cancer cases due to tanning is higher than the number of lung cancer cases due to smoking. In the US alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning. Out of this number, 6,199 are melanoma cases. It is a common misconception that sunbeds provide health benefits and help prepare the skin for tanning outdoors. The most common misconception is the vitamin D Debate. For most people just going about their normal business in the summer months is sufficient to produce the required vitamin D levels.
We certainly don't need to sunbathe to make enough vitamin D. We can also get vitamin D from certain foods including milk, fish, egg yolks, and fortified cereals. It is also a common misconception that sunbed use prior to going abroad builds a natural defence to the sun's rays, the fact is that UV exposure from sunbeds is exactly the same as the damaging UV rays produced by the sun. We strongly advise those who seek a tan to switch to sunless tanning options. Fake tanning is a huge market adopted by both men and women who are concerned about UV exposure and wish to take care of their skin. Excessive UV exposure not only dramatically increases your chances of developing melanoma it is one of the most common causes of premature aging and once the damage is done, there's no going back! So next time you consider using a sunbed - ask yourself one question:To find out more about our work on sunbeds click here >Skin Cancer TypesCheck Your SkinMelanoma FactsEarly DetectionDOWNLOAD NOWLEARN MORELEARN MOREUV THE FACTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOWTHE VITAMIN D DEBATESUNBEDS CAN CAUSE MELANOMATHE NOTTINGHAM NIGHTWALKTHE ABCDE OF MELANOMACHOOSING THE RIGHT SUNSCREENSUN SAFE SCHOOLS CAMPAIGNSKCIN AND VIRGIN HOLIDAYSTHE MELANOMA TASKFORCESKIN CANCER UKSUN SAFE WORKPLACESTHE FIVE S’S OF SUN SAFETYHOW TO CHECK YOUR SKINLEARN MORELEARN MORELEARN MORELEARN MOREArticles of interestIkids Day
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Step By Step Nursery has...19th Sep 2016 3:04pmIs anyone surprised that we Brits are in danger of having vitamin D deficiencies? Those long winter nights might be far from your mind right now, but seeing how keen we are to strip off as soon as the sun comes out might remind us that sunshine, an important source of vitamin D, isn’t that common a sight. A report from Public Health England has today recommended that everyone should take vitamin D supplements (before it was only under-fives and those ‘at risk’ who were recommended to do so). The suggested daily amount is 10 micrograms and, when the sun goes into hiding, it’s difficult to achieve that through food alone. Why do we need vitamin D? Well, it regulates the calcium and phosphate in the body, making it vital for bone, muscle and tooth development and growth. A lack of it can lead to a higher risk of bone disease and fracture and, in the worst cases, rickets. There are also studies that suggest vitamin D can help the battle against cancers, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis.
The Scandinavians know all about this. They may only have one or two hours of sunlight in midwinter — the land of the midnight sun, and the midday darkness — but their situation is not so different from here. In mid-December last year, the sun rose at 9.08am and set at 3.12pm. Aberdeen on the same date? Even in Edinburgh there were only 7.05 hours of sun, compared to Oslo’s 6.04. Why does that matter? Well, because in Norway, as in other northerly countries, people are well aware of the dangers of not getting enough vit D. Their Food Safety Authority, like ours, advises getting 10mg a day, and recommends sun exposure and food high in vitamin D (particularly oily fish, including cod liver oil) as a way of doing this, as well as supplements. In 2013 it was even suggested that the recommended daily amount was raised to 20mg per day. My Norwegian mother used to force-feed us cod liver oil, or tran, every day — as her mother did to her, and back it went through the generations, right back to the Vikings, who would even eat whole cod livers dipped in the oil.
To this day, my mother still buys me pots of cod liver oil tablets. The Vikings also rubbed it on their muscles to ease pain — though it probably wasn’t as effective as ibuprofen gel. It’s also normal to encourage sunbed use; at my local gym in Oslo, there was a row of sunbed cubicles by the swimming pool, and a notice about the importance of getting enough vitamin D all year round. Of course, excessive use of sunbeds can also be dangerous, which could even be why many Brits don’t get enough vitamin D. We’re so scared of sunshine and the risk of skin cancer that we avoid it like the plague. But Dr Louis Levy, head of nutrition science at Public Health England, says that we should in fact allow our sunscreen-free skin to be exposed to short bursts of sunshine — without getting burnt (or even a tan). It’s a tricky balancing act, though. I’m sure we all know someone who got a bit overexcited at this week’s sunshine and now resembles a lobster. It’s also possible that your mental wellbeing could be helped by extra vitamin D. Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) has been linked to a lack of vitamin D in the past.