No, not a disco inferno, but it is that time of year when we all crawl out of our caves from the winter. If the sun isn’t already bright enough, our pasty white bodies in shorts and short sleeved shirts should be enough to blind you.

“Don’t go out until you get a good base tan, those legs and arms will burn!” How many years did you follow that advice?  I know I thought that too, well into my late 30s.  The answer is an emphatic no. I remember being told you need to gradually tan so that you will not burn. Bollocks. You will still burn and burn fabulously no matter how good of a “base-tan” you have, and it will suck.

I had a patient last summer who was very fair-skinned, ok hell he is as white as mayonnaise. He had a terrible sunburn that had blistered. It was painful to look at, let alone to imagine how he felt. He was trying for a base tan and instead screwed with his skin’s integrity, caused himself pain, and upped his chance of skin cancer.

We are all much better educated to know that UV exposure from the sun has raged serious harm to the skin. We all have experienced the pain of the sunburn (especially when Carl comes up and slaps us on the back. Carl is the male, Karen). What do you mean integrity?

Well, the skin is impressive and more important than you think. The skin not only helps regulate moisture; it helps dispose of toxins through sweat.  Don’t believe me? Stand next to someone who has had a bunch to drink the night before.  You can smell it all over on them.  The skin is helping the kidneys, and the liver overcomes the large number of toxins that the body has ingested. When I worked on a dialysis unit folks that were especially fluid overloaded…

Ok wait, people on dialysis have non-working kidneys.  The kidney is a lot like a water treatment plant.  It filters the toxins from the blood and sends them out as urine.  The cleaned blood goes back into the bloodstream to circulate again.  Urine goes where all corrupt politicians should go, down the toilet. Without the kidneys things like the level of potassium, sodium, and something called uric acid rise (other stuff as well.  Giving folks in kidney failure medications can be a trick because they do not pee them out as they should). The word urine comes from uric acid.  Lastly, people on dialysis do not pee (or pee very little think drops) so back to the story

…sometimes came to the unit with yellow crystals all over.  They smelled like urine.  Why? Well, the body was trying to rid the waste through the skin.  See how hard skin works.  If you screw with the integrity, it is much more challenging to regulate temperature and moisture as well as take out the trash so to speak.

Breaking down the integrity can also lead to the C word (no not that, cancer). Cancer really is A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. (from the national cancer website, I am not really that smart except to cite things).  In the body’s attempt to repair itself, this loss of integrity, cancer cells can gain a foothold.

From good old WaPo (as the cool kids call it):

Summer unofficially kicks off each Memorial Day weekend, as our first real chance to head outdoors and enjoy the warmth and sunshine. “Don’t Fry Day” is an annual reminder, led by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, to practice sun safety and be mindful of how the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation affects us.

The effects of exposure to UV rays accumulate over your lifetime. Overexposure to this radiation is linked to skin cancer, which remains the most common form of cancer in the United States, and the rates are rising.

The bottom line is if you have any weird looking growths, irregular moles (or regular ones for that matter) or any skin abnormalities, swing by primary care and let one of our caring trained…sorry, let your provider take a look at it.

I left the “Don’t Fry Day” link in, even though we all missed it, it was yesterday…Either way, the EPA gives some great tips on protecting yourself from UV rays and the sun in general.

These are (so you don’t leave and stay for me…)

Do Not Burn. Sunburns significantly increase one’s lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children.

Avoid Sun Tanning, and Tanning Beds UV light from tanning beds and the sun causes skin cancer and wrinkling.

Generously Apply Sunscreen Generously apply sunscreen: about one ounce to cover all exposed skin 20 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 and provide protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating.

Wear Protective Clothing. Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, when possible.

Seek Shade Seek shade when possible and remember that the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow and Sand Water, snow, and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Check the UV Index. The UV Index provides valuable information to help you plan your outdoor activities in ways that prevent sun overexposure. The UV Index forecast is issued daily by the National Weather Service and EPA. Visit www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html.

Get Vitamin D Safely Get Vitamin D safely through a diet that includes vitamin supplements and foods fortified with Vitamin D. Don’t seek the sun.

Less exposure means the skin stays healthier and chances of lousy stuff drop (especially Carl and his sense of humor.)

I became more of an indoor dweller over time.  Now of course, well the sun tends to frighten me (or burn me to dust), but I digest.

The short answer is to be careful with your skin, it does hella more than you think.