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Christian InTech Articles - Health Eating
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Beyond Her Grasp
Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 22, 2004
I am a woman, 42, who three years ago married a wonderful man who will be 48 on his next birthday. I love him very, very much. The only problem is our sex life is horrible. Pretty...
How To Eat A Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
Perhaps the number one complaint of women trying to watch their weight during pregnancy is that they are hungry all the time. True, pregnancy does result in an increased metabolic demand on the body, which can cause you to be hungry. Many women also...
Nutrition for healthy skin - A simple guide
In this day and age, many people are concerned with not only their health, but their looks as well. In the aesthetics-worshipping twenty first century, healthy skin is a definite desire among a large cross-section of the population. What few people...
The Effects of Stress
Stress can affect you in four different ways: The Physical Effects of Stress These result in a physically perceived overload. These are present in many forms. One of the first areas to consider is the chemical burden from our modern and affluent...
Why Are We Overweight?
Why are we overweight? This question has been asked many times and we all have different answers. The most common is because we eat too much, especially junk food, and exercise less. It is easy to say, I will lose weight and keep it off. Reality...
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Achieving a Safe, Healthy Tan with Sunless Tanning Products
The danger of skin cancer has heightened tanning awareness and the interest in sunless tanning products. The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests, “as sun safety grows, so do the benefits of sunless tanning”. More and more people are turning to the safety and convenience of sunless tanning products to achieve a plentiful sun-kissed appearance and avoid the harmful affects of sun exposure.
Maintaining healthy skin is very important in continuing good health and skin cancer prevention. The American Cancer Society reported over 59,000* new cases of skin cancer, also known as melanoma, in the United States in 2004. With increased awareness and education, many people have started to heed the warnings and dangers associated with sun exposure and related complications. Today, many regularly use sunscreen and protective clothing when conducting outdoor activities such as gardening, sporting events and even traveling in a car in an effort to safely protect their skin.
Even though we are aware of the statistics and messages, most of us want to achieve a glowing tan every year, particularly during the warmer months. Some prefer the more harmful route of sunbathing or tanning beds, which result in a darker skin appearance when melanin is produced following sun exposure. The melanin alters the skin pigment, causing the skin to look darker. This process, which actually damages DNA, is an effort to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Tanning beds are considered as harmful, if not slightly more so as direct sun exposure since tanning beds use ultraviolet radiation as the tanning method.
Since there is no such thing as a healthy tan, the development of sunless tanning lotions and sprays make achieving a healthy looking tan possible. Most sunless tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone, a chemical compound responsible for essentially staining the skin. The dihydroxyacetone in the sunless tanning product attaches to the top layer of skin to alter the pigment appearance. As dead skin flakes away, the color will ultimately fade, requiring additional applications or treatments.
Ideal sunless tanning products, and commonly the most popular, now include salon-quality home airbrush tanning systems, like the
href="http://www.tvproducts4less.com/salon-bronze.html">Salon Bronze Tanning System. An applicator airbrush is used to prevent unsightly streaking and ensure an even application of the bronzer to the skin. Each Salon Bronze Tanning System application lasts for 7 to 10 days and is ideal for any skin shade or type.
Tan Perfect provides unique ingredients and rich botanicals to nourish the skin while creating an even, lasting tan. The five-piece product includes a body scrub formula, instant tanning formula, body scrubber and a pair of application gloves to ensure satisfying results while preventing streaks and stained plams.
The most distinctive differences between sun exposure and sunless tanning products are the long-term effects to the skin. Sun exposure reaches far beyond the epidermis and actually harms cells deep below the surface potentially causing melanoma, a malignant tumor originating in the melanocytes. (Melanocytes are the cells responsible for producing the melanin pigment.) Sunless tanning products offer no known harmful affects or damage although some may experience mild allergic reactions.
While the use of sunscreens and protective clothing may provide some safety, the only certain way to avoid sun exposure and sun damage is to stay indoors. Whenever venturing to the outdoors, regardless of shade or perceived protection, be sure to use a sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF (sun protection factor). (Use a suntan lotion applicator for hard-to-reach areas.) Try to avoid sun exposure during 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM when ultraviolet radiation is most harmful. Wear UV-protective sunglasses such as BluBlocker, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. (Even when wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts during prolonged sun exposure, it is best to apply sunscreen before dressing.) Wide-brimmed hats covering the face, neck and ears also should be worn.
* Excluding basal and squamous
About the Author
Melissa A. Tyson is a contributing writer for such sites as TV Products 4 Less. If you'd like to reprint this article, please include an active link to our site.
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