Miss Maryland—New Spokesperson For Skin Association?

Brittany Leitz, the reigning Miss Maryland, seems to be the new spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology. The blonde, blue-eyed woman was diagnosed with melanoma at age 20, and suggests that tanning bed usage caused her disease. Below are some comments she made during a recent interview with www.blogforbeauty.com and my rebuttals that I sent to her.

Leitz: “It’s kinda funny when you think about tanning over in the West, being tan means being healthy and “hot”. In the East, fair, porcelain skin is the hot thing.”

Joe: I guess she didn’t read my November column on how indoor tanning is taking off in China!

Leitz : “Tanning in a tanning bed”… is a … “decision that could possibly cost them [young people] their life. We need to get back to pale is in”.

Joe: Pale is not “in”. It is not a trend in fashion as many claim, and health magazines use models who have color— whether from indoor tanning, outdoor tanning, sunless products or graphically airbrushed—they have color.

Leitz: “There are studies now that show that tanning is an addictive process. The brain actually releases chemicals to produce a “high” effect and create a need for the body to continue to be tan or go tanning.”

Joe: There is some research to that extent; however, ONLY six people participated in the study. The researchers indicate that endorphins (“feel-good” hormones) were being produced, much in the same way that runners achieve a runner’s high.

Leitz: “That is the main problem with melanoma—there are no symptoms until it is too late. And by that I mean you don’t know you have it until your organs fail and you have only months or days to live.”

Joe: There are symptoms that can help in early diagnosis. According to www.melanoma.com, the first sign of melanoma is often a change in the size, shape, or color of a mole. When this is observed, seek medical attention immediately.

If melanoma is found and treated in its early stages, the chances of recovery are very good. If it is not found early, melanoma can grow deeper into the skin and spread to other parts of the body. If the melanoma has spread to the nearby lymph nodes, the affected lymph nodes also may be removed surgically.

Here are some more facts: Early-stage melanoma usually can be treated with surgery alone. The treatment for melanoma depends on three factors:

• the age of the person 
• the general health of the person 
• the stage of the disease 

Surgery is the first treatment for all stages of melanoma (IA through IV). The tumor is removed entirely, along with some surrounding tissue (usually about three quarters of an inch all around). The surgery may be performed by a dermatologist or a surgeon and is sometimes part of the diagnostic process. In some cases, a skin graft may be needed to replace skin that has been removed.

Brittany might have saved herself from surgery if she had read more information on specifics that might have put her at risk (especially No. 8):

1. Has anyone in your family ever had melanoma?

2. Do you now have, or have you ever had, non-cancerous, but unusual looking moles?

3. Have you been diagnosed with melanoma in the past?

4. Are you taking any medications that might weaken your immune system (for example, corticosteroids)?

5. Do you have more than 50 ordinary moles?

6. Did you have one or more severe, blistering sunburns as a child or teenager?

7. Do you have many freckles?

8. Do you have fair skin and light eyes?

9. Do you live in the Southwestern U.S.

10. Do you frequently spend time in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. without skin protection?

Indoor tanning is not for everyone, and I certainly am not trivializing a cancer like melanoma. However, thousands who weigh the benefits and risks of UV exposure and want to obtain a tan choose the controlled aspects of indoor tanning versus the increased risk of erythema (sunburn) from the outside sun. 

For more information on Light Sources tanning products, visit /www.lsitanning.com. If you have a question that you would like answered in this forum, e-mail joe_lsi@bellsouth.net.