Melanoma Day: It’s Scary… But Not In The Way You Might Think

By admin on May 7, 2012 in sun scare

Melanoma Day: It’s Scary… But Not In The Way You Might Think

May 21st 2012 is Melanoma Day in Russia.

euro melanoma day The organisation behind Melanoma Day is Euromelanoma, which describes itself as: “a pan-European campaign for skin cancer prevention that aims to give information to everybody on skin cancer prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But is this really their true purpose?

The main founder of Euromelanoma is LA ROCHE-POSAY, owned by L’Oréal, who have played a leading role in the sun-scare, one of the most sinister and cynical PR-campaigns ever.

With this we could describe Euromelanoma’s core purpose more accurately as being:

“a pan-European campaign for creating exaggerated skin cancer statistics that can be used to scare people into buying more sun-protection cosmetics to increase the profits of its founders.”

To this we can add an even more devious purpose …

“By scaring people into avoiding the healing benefits from sunlight and tanning beds, more and more people will need to be treated for skin diseases, thus increasing sales of our dermatological products.”

And to take it one step further …

“The sponsoring of national dermatological associations creates an excellent marketing and sales channel for our pharmaceutical products, as well as a useful base for political lobbying.”

If you think this sounds like an unfair reading of L’Oréal’s supposed philanthropy, one only has to look at their leading role in The Creation of The Sun Scare.

In short, L’Oréal, together with Nestlé, used their funding of research into a “cure for skin cancer” as the pretext to instigate a massive black PR campaign, the sun-scare.

Of course the main purpose of L’Oreal’s research is not to find a cure for skin-cancer. That would be like killing the goose laying the golden eggs.

Their real aim? To make us believe that the sun, for so long recognised as beneficial to our skin and all round health, was suddenly a killer.

The result? Multi-billion Euro annual sales of sun protection “skin care” cosmetics – and a nice little side line in treatments for skin conditions that are exacerbated because of lack of exposure to the sun.

Training and education programmes for dermatologists, and funding for dermatological associations, helped complete the cycle: more diagnosis of new “skin cancers”, such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), more fear, more sales of lucrative sun protecting cosmetics.

Now, to help fuel the fear (and profits) still further, some clever PR whizz invented the, now international, Melanoma Day.

The company selected to spearhead the increased search for Melanoma in Europe was La Roche-Posay, which was purchased by L’Oréal in 1989.

This is how L’Oréal describes their “Active Cosmetics” division, to which La Roche-Posay belongs:

“Dermocosmetic skincare, the core business of the Active Cosmetics Division, target the needs of people with “borderline” skin, affected by minor problems or a low tolerance level. The success of the 2011 launches was driven by the alliance between powerful innovations and recommendations by health professionals: dermatologists, paediatricians, pharmacists and doctors practising aesthetic medicine.”

Here is the model for creating exaggerated sun-scare statistics which has been used in every country. And this is also where “Melanoma Day” comes into the picture …

The first step is to create the vehicles through which L’Oréal can exercise their influence on dermatologists. Examples: American Academy of Dermatology, American Dermatological Association, Canadian Dermatology Association, Национального Альянса дерматологов и косметологов (in Russia) etc. etc.. L’Oréal is the initiator and main sponsor of one or more organisation in each country. Even if, for many, the sponsoring of such associations sounds like a very good and altruistic deed, the real purpose is to provide the black PR campaign against sunshine with frightening statistics.

The “Euro Melanoma Day” was invented to get as many people as possible into the screening rooms of the dermatologists trained by La Roche-Posay.

To be fair, this does mean that some cases of real malignant melanoma can be detected and treated in time. That is however a tiny amount compared to all the cases of benign (i.e. “thin”) melanoma plus BCC and SCC that are ‘discovered”. The real tragedy is that many people are “put under the knife” unnecessary, often leading to severe personal psychological and physiological traumas as well as higher costs for tax-payers. Prof. Earl J. Glusac describes this very well in his report “The melanoma ‘epidemic’, a dermatopathologist’s perspective”

The bottom line is that the “melanoma inflation” created by dermatologists eager to win prizes set up by La Roche-Posay for the most skin cancers detected, creates far more false positive melanoma and non-melanoma skin-cancer cases – all for the purpose of supporting the black PR campaign against UV-light.

These forces create a virtual “Perpetuum Mobile” for increased sales and profit from sun-protection cosmetics, dermocosmetic skincare products and remedies for skin-diseases.

Only political decision makers have the possibility to stop its progress. To prevent that from happening, a powerful lobbying structure, again based upon associations of different kinds, has been established by L’Oréal. This lobbying has been especially efficient in the USA, where there is a tradition for this kind of political influence. Elsewhere more subtle and hidden methods of influencing politicians are being used.

However, and because of the extremely well executed black PR campaign, there is hardly any need for lobbying any more.

The mission of changing the perception of sunlight from good to bad is more or less complete.

Very few any longer question the tan scaring reports from researchers on L’Oréal’s payroll.

No journalists are digging into the material behind the press releases in order to try to find the real truth. Instead they just repeat the false statements given to them by the PR spinners of sun-scare.

No politicians raise any objections when the rights of their citizens are being trampled upon. Instead they are helping the sun-scare by initiating laws against tanning.

And, worst of all, a whole generation has been brought up being brainwashed to believe that sunshine and tanning beds are dangerous. This brainwashing is secured by constant sun-scare messages in glossy magazines funded by L’Oréal’s advertising budget.

In the run up to Melanoma Day in Russia, it is amazing to see how the campaign has been intensified this year compared to previous years. Now the Ministry of Health is actively supporting the campaign and it is impossible to visit a pharmacy without being bombarded with leaflets and posters urging everyone to sign up for a screening. melanoma-day Russia

My take on this is that any politician who is supporting Melanoma Day, in spite of knowing the traditions of Russian healthcare and the facts of the healing powers of sunlight, is either incredibly naïve or incredibly corrupt – or both.

Sun-scare messages are being transmitted daily. Just today (24th April 2012), I heard on one of the most popular radio channels how a well-known doctor advised people in Moscow about the need to “protect themselves against the dangerous springtime sun, not only by wearing wide-brimmed hats, but also with an additional umbrella.”

What great, healthy advice to the grey, gloomy and vitamin D starved folks who have been without UVB from the natural sun for more than six months!

I sincerely hope that the firm roots in Russia of common sense and traditional knowledge about the healing benefits from sunlight will be strong enough to withstand this new commercial threat to our health and wellbeing.

Comments { 0 }

Sources Of Vitamin D

By admin on December 5, 2011 in Vitamin-D

Sources of Vitamin D – which are the safest?

The magic benefits of Vitamin D for our health are by now well known. But which are the best and most natural sources of Vitamin D?

The pharmaceutical industry are telling us that food supplements are the safest sources of Vitamin D. They are well backed and surfing on the anti-tanning wave invented by the manufacturers of sun-protection lotions and sun-scare lobbyists on their payroll.

The fact is that nature never intended pills to be among the sources of Vitamin D. The human body has evolved thanks to sunlight and the rays from the sun were and still are the most natural sources of Vitamin D.

If sunlight could be fetched and sold by bottle, this source of Vitamin D would have had much stronger commercial support. Because UV-rays, and especially UVB-rays are the only natural sources of Vitamin D.

Actually UV-light has been “caught and bottled” by the inventor of sun-lamps, Dr. Wolff. Unfortunately he has not yet got the Nobel-prize he deserves for this invention. Instead tanning beds are being attacked every day for being life-threatening devices and laws are created to keep us away from them.

But the truth is that tanning beds can be just as good, or even better, sources of Vitamin D than sunlight from the natural sun. As Dr. Michael Holick writes in his latest book “The Vitamin D Solution: A 3-Step Strategy To Cure Our Most Common Health Problems“:

“A UVB photon (packet of energy) is a photon whether it is produced by the sun or by a tanning bed with fluorescent lamps.”

This means that the two best sources of Vitamin D are the sun and tanning beds.

If there are still any doubts that you can get Vitamin D from a tanning bed, the compilation of research reports as below, made by Ad Brand, Scientific Advisor to the European Sunlight Association, will for sure scatter any doubts that tanning beds are excellent sources of Vitamin D.

———————————–

Indoor UV exposure capable of inducing vitamin D

http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v130/n5/full/jid2009417a.html

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of possibly to restrictive warnings against sun exposure causing too low vit D levels and its known health consequences in order to minimize skin cancer risk.

Exposing 35% of body surface three times a week with a sub erythemal dose (1,1 SED)resulted in, quote: “The 6 weeks of UVR exposures caused the vitamin D level to rise significantly.” and: ”

This is consistent with the results of a previous study (Moan et al., 2009)”Unquote.

This again seems to indicate that it a modern sun bed with EU approved low UVB lamps, but whole body exposed twice a week at one MED, most likely does a similar job in increasing vitamin D levels.

Sun and sun bed Vitamin D

http://journals.cambridge.org/action//displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8413712&fulltextType=RV&fileId=S1368980011002801

Quote:”The lack of sunlight exposure leads to more health problems than bone disease and increased risk for cancer. Other benefits include protection against infectious diseases and non-cancerous diseases like diabetes, CVD, multiple sclerosis and mental disorders.” Unquote. This work was supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society obviously in a welcome attempt to find a sensible balance between the risks of too low vitamin D and too much UV exposure.

Conclusion of this study seems to be that moderate sun and sunlight exposure are predominantly beneficial.

Sun bed vitamin D

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22013924

This study was carried out with a cabinet made for psoriasis treatment. Consequently with more UVB than in today’s EU norm allowed sun beds. But the (sub erythem) exposure was once in two weeks only.

Since the dosage is determining the effect (Bunsen&Roscoe law) the once or twice a week moderate exposure with an EU approved sunbed is indeed expected to do a similar job, as e.g. Prof Moan and his team has found in his study “sunbeds as vitamin D sources”.

UV induced vitamin D

http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/2/211.abstract

This study was performed with a unit emitting a mix. of UV A and B.

It indicates that UV with sufficient UVB contend, sufficient body surface exposed can induce significant vitamin D.

Indoor UV induced vitamin D

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jnsv/54/1/54_105/_article

In this “letter to the editor” the undersigned indicate that moderate indoor UV exposure is able to improve vitamin D levels in man.

It also recommends to consider using moderate sun bed exposure for those with low vitamin D levels especially during the winter months.

Sunbed and Vitamin D

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0781.2007.00302.x/abstract;jsessionid=BCBA6501727AF07342AF0CA39401DFC1.d02t03

This study confirms that moderate sun bed use as is stipulated by the EU safety norm and with sufficient UVB with the EU Norm framework can/will lead to significant vitamin D induction.

Don’t gamble with your health! Get Vitamin D in the way nature intended it and from the two safest sources of Vitamin D – sunlight and tanning beds.

Comments { 0 }

Melanoma – Not From Too Much Sun But From Too Little!

By admin on November 20, 2011 in Vitamin-D

Melanoma, the most deadly skin-cancer, does not occur from too much sun.

That is the conclusion from an article at Mercola.com, the World’s #1 Natural Health Website.

The studies examined in the article confirms that what I have been writing about in my previous posts and in my video about 30-years of sun-scare, are the facts.

Dr Mercola doesn’t go as far as to accuse dermatologists for deliberately exaggerating the diagnoses of common skin lesions as melanoma. There are, however, other compelling indications of that.

Dr Mercolas article also reveals a much better, safer and 100% natural alternative to surgery for treatment of non-melanoma skin-cancer.

Below are some quotes from the article in Mercola.com, with links to external sources.

The Surprising Cause of Melanoma (And No, it’s Not Too Much Sun)
Rates of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, have been rising for at least the last three decades, and this increase has been largely blamed on exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.
However, research published in the British Journal of Dermatology shows that the sun is likely nothing more than a scapegoat in the development of melanoma and that “the large increase in reported incidence is likely to be due to diagnostic drift, which classifies benign lesions as stage 1 melanoma.”
“These findings should lead to a reconsideration of the treatment of ‘early’ lesions, a search for better diagnostic methods to distinguish them from truly malignant melanomas, re-evaluation of the role of ultraviolet radiation and recommendations for protection from it, as well as the need for a new direction in the search for the cause of melanoma.”
This applies not only to skin cancer but other types of cancer as well. Here are just a few highlights into some of the most noteworthy findings:
According to research by Dr. Cedric Garland, professor of family and preventive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, some 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented each year if vitamin D levels among populations worldwide were increased,
Optimizing your vitamin D levels could help you to prevent at least 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, prostate, and skin cancers.
A large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled study on vitamin D and cancer showed that vitamin D can cut overall cancer risk by as much as 60 percent. This was such ground-breaking news that the Canadian Cancer Society has actually begun endorsing the vitamin as a cancer-prevention therapy.
Light-skinned women who had high amounts of long-term sun exposure had half the risk of developing advanced breast cancer (cancer that spreads beyond your breast) as women with lower amounts of regular sun exposure, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
A study by Dr. William Grant, Ph.D., internationally recognized research scientist and vitamin D expert, found that about 30 percent of cancer deaths — which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States — could be prevented each year with higher levels of vitamin D.
When Using the Sun to Fight Cancer, the Dose is What Matters
The proper dosage to optimize your vitamin D levels means exposing enough of your skin for it to get a slight pink color. The exact time will vary radically depending on many variables, such as you skin color, time of day, season, clouds, altitude and age. The key principle is to never get burned, while still spending as much time as you can in the sun during the peak hours.
A common myth is that occasional exposure of your face and hands to sunlight is “sufficient” for vitamin D nutrition. For most of us, this is an absolutely inadequate. And if you use sunscreen, you will block your body’s ability to produce vitamin D!
Contrary to popular advice, the best time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is actually as near to solar noon as possible which is 1 PM in the summer for most (due to Daylight Saving Time). Most people with fair skin will max out their vitamin D production in just 10-20 minutes. Some will need less, others more. The darker your skin, the longer exposure you will need to optimize your vitamin D production.
Why Not Just Take Vitamin D from a Supplement?
If sunlight or a safe tanning bed is not an option, you can get vitamin D3 in supplement form. This is better than getting no vitamin D at all. However, UVB is really the superior source for vitamin D.
What Should Your Vitamin D Levels be for Cancer Protection?
Natural Treatment for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Millions of Americans are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancers every year. Dr Bill E. Cham, the leading researcher in this area has shown that cream containing eggplant extract, known as BEC and BEC5, appears to cure and eliminate most non-melanoma skin cancers in just 14 weeks’ time. Unlike surgery, the eggplant-extract cream leaves no scarring and no visible sign a tumor or lesion was ever present. The eggplant extract appears to be exceptionally safe and only kills cancerous cells, leaving healthy cells untouched, and causes only minor side effects, such as itching and burning.
Dr. Cham’s latest study was published in the International Journal of Clinical Medicine this year. The paper includes two impressive case reports of 60-something men who were suffering from large basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which had plagued them for years. The results upon treatment with a cream formulation of BEC (eggplant extract) twice a day are astounding, and you can view the pictures here.

There are by now so many reports from thoroughly conducted research on the benefits of Vitamin D obtained from moderate but regular UVB exposure, that it leaves without a doubt that tanning is a very healthy activity. Still, the sun-scare lobby is very successful scaring politicians and the non-enlightened public with fraudulent statistics showing that the sun is dangerous. The question is – when will real research and common sense conquer over commercially sponsored “PR-research”? As long as the “dark forces” are successful, our health will continue to deteriorate. That is, of course, one of the purposes of the many cancer-driving organizations that benefits from our suffering.

Comments { 1 }

UV Tanning Tips

By admin on October 16, 2011 in Tanning - all

10 UV Tanning tips for your next visit to a tanning salon.

A while ago I was asked to write an article about UV tanning tips for the new Directory of Tanning Salons in USA.

They liked the article and asked me to publish it also in EZineArticles.com. That is why I can also re-publish it here on The TanningGurus Blog and make the translations to a couple of other languages.

Indoor UV tanning can be wonderful and beneficial if you know how to do it correctly.

Here are 10 UV tanning tips that will help you to get the most out of your visit to a tanning salon.

UV tanning tip 1: Select your salon. Believe it or not, but UV tanning can be one of the best skin-care and overall health beneficial activities you can provide for your body. You just have to get the right individual advice of how to do it correctly. Even if you follow all tips on this page, you will need professional advice at the tanning salon of your choice. Therefore, select to visit salons that have trained staff that can give you individual advice. Cleanness, modernity of equipment, the changing of lamps at regular intervals and the general atmosphere, are also important features when you make your choice of salon.

UV tanning tip 2: Know your skin type. To know your skin-type is very important for a good result and safe tanning. The amount of melanin in your skin, together with your goal for your tanning, will determine your tanning program and which kind of tanning lotions you should use. If you are skin-type 2, you will need to build up more melanin in order to develop a deeper tan. If you are skin-type 3 or 4, you might just want to darken you existing melanin with UVA-rays (but remember, this will not give you any Vitamin D).

UV tanning tip 3: Decide your tanning goals. Do you want the darkest possible color, or do you want a combination of Vitamin D and a healthy glow? Maybe you want to prepare your skin for a sunny vacation? Tell your tanning goals to the staff in the salon so they can give you suitable advice.

UV tanning tip 4: Which kind of UV-rays? Find a tanning salon with tanning beds (and staff) that can meet your goals. Remember that UVA-rays from high-pressure lamps only oxidize the existing melanin in your skin and do not produce any Vitamin D or build up any additional melanin in order to prepare the skin for further tanning. UVB-rays from low-pressure lamps, on the other hand, make the body produce both Vitamin D and more melanin. The amount of UVB in low-pressure lamps can vary. Look for a tanning bed with at least 3% UVB (in relation to UVA) for best result in shortest time. The staff in the salon should be able to guide you.

UV tanning tip 5: Do NOT burn your skin! Always stay on the safe side of burning your skin when tanning in a tanning bed (this goes of course also for tanning under the open sun). Even if you want to get as dark as possible, do not take any risks with too long tanning sessions in too strong tanning beds. You must let your skin get used to tanning slowly. Use the UVB rays to build up more melanin and use tanning lotions with bronzers and other active tan- and skin- care ingredients to help your skin stay young and healthy also after many years of tanning. Follow a tanning schedule advised by the staff in the tanning salon, and you should be fine.

UV tanning tip 6: Always use tanning lotions! Always use tanning lotions specially made for indoor tanning in tanning beds. The role of such lotions is to keep you skin well moisturized, provide anti-oxidation and rejuvenation as well as add bronzing tan-enhancers. Good indoor tanning lotions should have a rich moisturizing base (preferably Aloe vera or coconut milk), a fair amount of other active skin-caring ingredients (preferably with silicone to lock them and the moisture into the skin) and bronzers to assist the tanning process. There are three different kinds of bronzers, each with a specific task:

Natural bronzers (with Tyrosine) to speed up the natural production of melanin.
Delayed bronzers (with DHA and/or Erythrulose) that oxidize existing melanin.
Cosmetic coloring bronzers that dye your skin more brown (just like coloring your hair).

Delayed bronzers and cosmetic coloring bronzers work also without UV-light and are therefore common in self-tanning lotions.

Tingle lotions can be used carefully in order to provide more oxygen to the tanning process.

Remember – having a smooth, healthy and well moisturized skin that absorbs the UV-light, can make your session double as effective than when having a dry and wrinkled skin that reflects the UV-rays. Always buy your lotion in your tanning salon. Only then can you be sure of the quality and get professional advice on how to find and use the right lotion for your skin-type and goals.

UV tanning tip 7: Protect your eyes! Always use special goggles during your tanning session. Just closing the eyes will not prevent the UV-rays from harming your eye-sight. The goggles must have a broad-spectrum protection towards both UVA and UVB. Even if you believe that the staff in your tanning salon follows the highest hygienic standards for the goggles they provide, it is better to buy your own, personal, goggles in your salon. Ordinary sun-glasses are not suitable for indoor tanning in tanning beds.

UV tanning tip 8: When to shower? It is better to take a shower before your sunbed session than directly after. The reason for this is that when you apply the tanning lotion, your skin should be as clean as possible. Furthermore, if you use lotions with delayed and/or cosmetic coloring bronzers, they need to stay on the skin for at least four hours in order to give the optimal benefits.

UV tanning tip 9: Horizontal or vertical? This is mainly a matter of taste. Many prefer horizontal beds because you can relax better during the tanning session. Others prefer vertical tanning units because you can move around in order to increase the blood-circulation for a more even color without white pressure marks. The choice is yours (if your salon offers the alternatives).

UV tanning tip 10: Respect your fellow tanners. Be quick and efficient in the tanning booth before and after your session. (But don’t stress since tanning should be a relaxing experience). Make it easy for the tanning salon staff to clean after you by picking up and dispose of any paper, empty tanning lotions packets etc.

Please be aware of that the tips above are valid for you only if you are in normal condition. In case you are suffering from any medical problems, you better first consult your doctor before using indoor UV-tanning.

Hopefully you found the tips for indoor UV tanning useful and, if so, please share them with your friends.

This article is provided by Goran Olsson as a contribution to the unique directory of tanning salons in USA.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Goran_Olsson

Please feel free to copy and use this article about UV Tanning Tips from article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6603338

Comments { 3 }

Does Vitamin D Make You Tan?

By admin on August 5, 2011 in Vitamin-D

Does vitamin d make you tan?

Is it possible that Vitamin D make you tan?

I suppose you know by now that tanning is the best way to make Vitamin D, but does also Vitamin D make you tan?

Many visitors are arriving to thetanningguru.com after having searched in Google for the answer to the question: “Does Vitamin D make you tan?”.

My spontaneous thought when I see that question is that we are dealing with a mix-up between cause and effect.

It is a little bit like asking if the melting ice around the North-pole is causing the global warming (if there is one).

So the answer to the question if Vitamin D make you tan is most likely: No, vitamin D does not make you tanned but tanning makes you make Vitamin D and that you can get a tan in this process.

However, since Vitamin D is a main contributor to your body’s immune defense, Vitamin D do have some positive effects when tanning.

For example, Vitamin D helps to fight the free radicals that comes from tanning and it is proved that high levels of Vitamin diminish the risk for most cancers, also skin-cancer.

The time needed for UVB-light from the sun or from the lamps in a tanning bed to produce your daily dose of vitamin D is much shorter than what is needed for you to get a tan (or a sun-burn).

Unfortunately most people do not know how they can find the precious UVB-rays that have so many positive health effects.

Some health-authorities (like the Dutch Cancer-council) have recognized that their previous sun-avoidance advice was counter-productive to their purpose. Most others, still preach the mantra invented by the sun-scare industry: “Apply sun-screen whenever outdoors and stay away from sunlight in the middle of the day.”.

UVB-rays in sunlight reach the earth only when the sun is higher than 50 degrees above the horizon (that is a little bit higher than in the middle between the horizon and straight above your head) and the sky must be clear (no clouds or pollution). The right time for healthy tanning is therefore in the middle of the day.

Sun-protection cosmetics on your skin makes it impossible for the UVB-rays to do their job. You have to be a short time in the sun everyday without sun-protection in order to get vitamin d in a natural way.

Another challenge for the UVB-seeker is that for most of the time of the year (at least for many of us) the sun never gets above 50 degrees.

The tanning-lamp emitting approximately the same spectra of UV-light like the sun, is therefore an invention well worth a Nobel-prize.

A tanning bed, equipped with low-pressure lamps, is a good substitute to the sun and available at your leisure. Look for a tanning bed equipped with lamps with at least 5% (for USA) or 2.5% (for Europe) UVB/UVA ratio. Of course, and since you tan mainly for health through vitamin d, the time in the tanning-bed can be kept shorter than if your goal is to get the darkest skin-color.

The risk of using tanning beds is much much exaggerated by the sun-scare lobby. All studies of vitamin D show that moderate and regular visits to a tanning bed only have positive effect on your health.

If you keep your skin moistured and use tanning lotions based on Aloe vera or coconut-milk,with a lot of silicone and other active skin-care ingredients, it will stay young and smooth.

Here is a good post in order to find out the details of how to tan.

So even if the answer to “does vitamin d make you tan” is no, tanning is the best, safest, and only natural way to get your vitamin d.

Comments { 3 }

Is Melanin A Natural Sunscreen?

By admin on July 24, 2011 in Melanin

Does Melanin Work Like A Natural Sunscreen During Tanning?

Melanin is what many dark-skinned people want to have less of, while many white-skinned people wish to have more.

Melanin is the pigment that gives our hair, skin and eyes their color. It is produced, not only in the skin, but also in many internal organs. In fact, Melanin plays many more roles in the human body than coloring.

Melanin whitening ad

In many Asian countries, there is an abundance of cosmetic products with the promise to make the skin lighter and in countries with a majority of fair-skinned population, cosmetics that gives a darker skin-color, are often very popular.

Melanin darkening ad

This article, however, is focused on how Melanin supports the process of tanning.

In short, tanning (if done correctly) increases the production of Melanin for the protection of cells towards over-exposure from Ultra-Violet (UV) light.

This is how the tanning process stimulates the production of Melanin and makes it darker:

The UVB-component in sunlight (or from the lamps in a tanning bed) stimulates the Melanocytes-cells in the outer skin-layer (epidermis) to produce more Melanin.
The UVA-component in Sunlight (or from the lamps in a tanning bed) oxidizes the new and also the already existing Melanin to a darker color.
The now darkened Melanin forms a barrier around the cells in the body and uses its black or dark brown color to diffuse additional UVB-rays that could be harmful. The brown Melanin molecules also move towards the very surface of the skin in order to form an additional barrier towards over-exposure from UV-light.

And, voila, you have created your body’s natural sun-protection as well as got a nice and healthy tan.

Now that you know the basic role of Melanin in the tanning process, let’s have a look at what might interfere with the natural manner of Melanin creation and protection.

The most common interference is caused by chemicals in sun-screen cosmetics. The purpose of such chemicals is to block the UV-rays from reaching your body. They do this by forming either a diffusive or reflexive barrier on your skin.

It is a good idea to use sun-block chemicals if you suddenly find yourself having to spend long periods of time in strong sunlight. The problem with most sun-protection lotions is, however, that they very often block only the UVB-component in sunlight. Thus they let through the UVA which will still oxidize your existing Melanin and give you a surface tan. The UVA will also add to the photo-aging of your skin. However, because the UVB-rays are blocked, your body will not create any additional Melanin and your natural UV-protection will not increase.

In general, I don’t believe it is a very good idea to destroy, by unnecessary usage of sun-screen cosmetics, the delicate balance between UVB, UVA and Melanin that has evolved in the human body for millions of years.

Another reason for not using sun-screen is because by blocking the UVB, your body will be denied all its possibilities to create Vitamin D.

Another cause of interference is to try to enhance the body’s natural production of Melanin. The two most common chemicals for this are Psoralen and Tyrosine. They are both supposed to increase the creation of Melanin but they do it in quite different ways.

Psoralen increases the photosensitivity of the skin by making it more receptive to UV-light. Even if this can be useful in medically supervised treatments of skin-conditions such as psoriasis, it is not recommended as a method to build more Melanin for a darker tan.

Tyrosine, on the other hand, is the main amino-acid that the melanosomes within the melanocytes uses to create Melanin. The verdict is still out on if topically applied tyrosine (which is a common ingredient in tanning lotions) really does increase the production of Melanin in the skin. In any case, tyrosine seems to be the best bet if you want to assist the job of the melanosomes to make more Melanin.

Lately, another substance has emerged claiming to add to the body’s Melanin storage. The unapproved and untested Melanotan is attributed both to give a chemical tan that could help to prevent skin-cancer, as well as to prevent erectile dysfunction. My view on Melanotan is that this is just another attempt from the pharmaceutical industry to cash in on the sun-scare hysteria created by themselves and their peers in the chemical sunscreen industry. Additionally, with the added attractiveness as an alternative to Viagra, it will probably be a big-seller.

My personal preferred sun-protection method is to assist my body’s natural production of Melanin by regular and moderate tanning. When the natural sun is too low in the sky for UVB to reach the earth (or when the weather is bad), I use tanning beds with tubes emitting a fair amount of UVB.

My experience is that not only does this method keep my level of Vitamin D at a consistent healthy level, but it also provides me with a natural sun-protection, corresponding to at least SPF 15, when I travel for a vacation to a sunny place.

I do use tanning lotions based on Aloe Vera or coconut-milk with a lot of added natural antioxidants and other skin-caring ingredients. Tyrosine is often included in those tanning lotions. These lotions definitely help me to keep my skin moisturized, young and smooth and ready to absorb sunlight in the most efficient way.

In closing, maybe you are thinking that I have forgotten DHA (Dihydroxcyacetone) in the list of Melanin-stimulators? Then you should know that the only function of DHA (and its cousin, Erythrulose) in tanning-lotions is to oxidize the already existing and dead Melanin on the outer skin-layer into a darker color. Thus DHA does not influence your body’s production of Melanin.

Comments { 2 }

How Tanning Can Make You Healthy?

By admin on July 22, 2011 in Tanning - all

Can tanning really make you healthy?

Today there are two totally opposite opinions among people about tanning:

Tanning is dangerous because you can get skin-cancer from it; and
Tanning is healthy because it will give you Vitamin D

The fact is that both opinions above about tanning are right but the second is more right than the first.

Like with almost all good and healthy treats, having too much tanning can be negative. Consuming any vitamin, medicine, healthy food or food supplement, in small doses are good for your health, however taking too much can give you serious side-effects.

To determine the correct amount you can safely take of a food-supplement or medicine is difficult because it varies from person to person depending on many different individual circumstances. To regulate your tanning is easier; the most important factor is to be sure to stay well clear from burning your skin.

That is also one of the reasons why tanning is the preferred way to raise your level of Vitamin D. Tanning is also the only natural way for your body to absorb Vitamin D. If Vitamin D was meant to take by swallowing it, Vitamin D would have been present in a mother’s milk. Since all other nourishment needed for a newborn are present in a mother’s milk, except Vitamin D, it gives us a hint of how nature wants us to get it in another way, namely by tanning.

During the last five years, modern medical science has confirmed what our ancestors always knew – sunshine and tanning are necessary for human life. Modern science has also identified Vitamin D as one of the hormones responsible for the healing process that is trigged by sunlight. Exposing your naked skin to UVB rays (270 – 315/320 nanometers wavelength, with the Vitamin D creation peaking at 297 nm), is the most natural and safest way for your body to start its own production of Vitamin D. It is not necessary and likely not 100% safe, to take Vitamin D as food supplement or to drink huge amounts of fortified milk. Tanning is the best solution to get Vitamin D.

So now maybe you are convinced to get healthy by raising your Vitamin D level by tanning, you just have to find the all-important UVB-rays.

If it is summertime or perhaps if you live close to the equator, this will be easy. During the rest of the year, it is more difficult. The farther from the equator you are, the more problematic it is to find UVB in nature. The sun has to be at an angle of 50 degrees above the horizon for the short UVB rays to reach the earth and the sky must be clear and free from pollution.

The Vitamin D you managed to get by tanning in the right way during the summer will disappear at the same pace as your skin loses its tanned color. My own experience is that it takes about six weeks without tanning for my level of Vitamin D to go from very high to insufficient.

There is also a way to stay healthy during the “flu-season”, by visiting a tanning salon. The tanning lamp emitting UVB (together with UVA), is probably the most important health-improving invention during the last 50 years. It is an invention well worth a Nobel Prize.

Unfortunately and for reasons described in several other articles and posts on my blog, indoor tanning has become the main target for the “sun-scare” lobby. A few person’s obsession to get as dark as possible by abusing the means of indoor tanning, is motivating a fierce anti-tanning campaign. The fact is, however, that regular and moderate indoor tanning is probably the best way to stay healthy during the time when UVB cannot be found in nature.

A regular tanning regime is good for your health, but you have to help your skin to stay smooth and healthy in order for the tanning sessions to work. Using dedicated tanning lotions (without SPF) of good quality, preferably based on Aloe Vera, will keep your skin young and smooth while tanning in moderation.

Comments { 5 }

Reduce the risk of breast-cancer with sunlight

By admin on June 20, 2011 in Vitamin-D

Sunlight and vitamin D-rich diet can reduce the risk of breast-cancer with up to 43 %.

Breast cancer rates in GB 1975-2008

This conclusion from a French study among 70,000 women, confirms the Swedish study reported from in my post Tanned-women-live-longer.

Breast-cancer is the by far most common cancer among women (prostate-cancer, is the most common among men). Take a look at the diagram to the left and try to figure out why we see such an increase in breast-cancer incidence?

I suppose one answer is that because of being scared away from the sun and sunbeds and encouraged to cover themselves with sunscreen day and night, most women are severely deficient in Vitamin D. (To be fair, an increased screening is also contributing to the elevation of the curve).

This video about “30 Years of Sun-Scare”, shows the relationship between cancer-incidences and the sales of sun-screen lotions. if you have not watched it yet, do it now!

And please note that even if natural sunlight is the best source of UVB, you will get the same natural effect for Vitamin D from the UVB-rays in a tanning bed. So do not let the lack of sunlight keep you from reducing the risk of breast-cancer.

Here is the Press release from Sunlight Research Forum (SRF), reporting from the latest French study. The emphasizes are made by me.

Sun and a vitamin D-rich diet reduce the risk of breast-cancer by up to 43 percent
Attested by a study among 70.000 women: the crucial aspect is sufficient UVBradiation; diet or food supplements merely have a supporting function.
Veldhoven, 20 June 2011 (SRF).
Regular sun exposure and a vitamin D-rich diet reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by around 32 to 43 percent. The deciding factor in prevention is exposure to adequate UVB rays. Admittedly food that is rich in vitamin D,such as fish, dairy products, eggs and certain types of oils or food supplements, can boost the effects of the sun, but used alone they have little effect on the occurrence or progression of the disease.
These are the findings of researchers from the FrenchNational Institute for Health and Medical Research (Institut National de la Santé et de laRecherche Médicale[INSRM]) in Paris, obtained during a study published in the professionaljournal “Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers”. In this study, scientists observed around 70,000 women over a period of ten years. During this period, 2,871 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed. According to the study, women who live in sunny regions such as Provence and who eat a vitamin D-rich diet have a far lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who have less sun exposure, who live in cloudier areas and who ingest less vitamin D through their food or food supplements.
The conclusion of the research group: “A high dose of vitamin D via exposure to sunlight and nutrition is necessary in order to obtain a sufficient protective effect against breastcancer. However, this value is very difficult for women to achieve in northern countries as the sunlight in these regions is not strong enough to ensure a sufficient supply of vitamin D.”.Furthermore, the scientists explain, following the menopause it is far more difficult to achieve the protective effect from the combination of sun and a vitamin-D rich diet.
The Sunlight Research Forum (SRF) is a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands.Its aim is to make the latest medical and scientific evidence on the effects of moderate exposure to UV radiation available to the general public.
Reference:
Pierre Engel, Guy Fagherazzi, Sylvie Mesrine, Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault, Francoise Clavel-Chapelonet: “Joint Effects of Dietary Vitamin D and Sun Exposure on Breast Cancer Risk: Resultsfrom the French E3N Cohort”; in: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011;20:187-198. PublishedOnline First December 2, 2010
Media contact: Ad Brand Sunlight Research Forum (SRF), Tel.: +31 (0)651 358 180, info@sunlightresearchforum.eu,www.sunlightresearchforum.eu
Tanning and a vitamin D-rich diet reduce the risk of breast-cancer

M9RN4YXH84FY

Comments { 0 }

Your Question About Tanning

By admin on June 10, 2011 in Tanning - Q&A

Question About Tanning?
Your question about tanning – and how to get the best answer
Have a question about tanning? In that case I will personally answer any question you might have about how to tan correctly.
You can put your question about tanning to me either as a public comment to any post or in a private message from the contact page.
Here is one example of a question from a reader of thetanningguru.com and my answer below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Question about tanning From: C

Message: Hey, just wondering about something. If I am fairly light skinned andI burn easy, and get freckles, how can I maximize my chance to tan.Changing my diet has led to less freckles and more colour, but whatelse can I do to become more tan other than gradual exposure?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi C, and thank you for your question about tanning!

I can read between the lines in your question that your goal with tanning is to get a darker skin-tone.

In that case, and taking into account how you describe your skin-type (you match almost exactly the description of a skin-type 1), the bad news for you are that you can not and should not try to get a tan.

The good news are however, that you need only very short time (<10 minutes) in sunlight (when the sun if high enough for its UVB rays to reach the earth) to get the full health effects (in the shape of Vitamin D) from sunlight.

There are two kinds of melanin (the protein that is produced in the skin as a natural protection towards UV-light). One is brownish and gets even more brown when exposed to UV-light.

The other kind of melanin is pink and does not change color in sunlight.

Nature has given your skin an abundance of the second kind of melanin and less amount of the first (only enough to give you freckles).

There is no known way (at least not to me, and I have studied this subject a lot!), to change this.

Don’t try to force a tan, it can create a lot of serious damage to your body. Be happy that you will quickly get a lot of Vitamin D only with a short stay in the sun.

Keep in shadow the rest of the time, cover with clothes and light (max SPF 15) sun-protection lotion (see my general advice about how to tan)

It will not help to take supplements. In order to change your skin-color with red vegetables and fruits (like carrots, also in concentrate), you have to eat so much that it will damage your liver.

You can try a lotion with cosmetic bronzer that will make your skin a little bit darker (like coloring hair), but it is hard to find any such lotion that doesn’t also contain DHA (delayed bronzer, Dihydroxyaceton) that oxidize the brownish type of melanin melanin to a darker color.

But since your melanin mainly is of the light-red kind, that doesn’t oxidize into a darker color, DHA is useless and will color your skin very unevenly.

I hope I have answered your question about tanning, even if it maybe was not the answer you had hoped on?

Comments { 2 }

Do tanners make stronger children?

By admin on May 20, 2011 in Vitamin-D

It is proved that sunshine make children stronger and now a new research also show that tanners make stronger children.

The Sunlight Research Forum (SRF) reports in their latest press-release from a new research of the importance of Vitamin D for human reproduction. The new study is done by a group of scientists from the University of Copenhagen Denmark.

The conclusion of the study is that men with high levels of the “Sunshine hormone” Vitamin D, produce stronger and faster sperms than men with low levels of Vitamin D.

Earlier, University of Arizona studies found that women are biologically programmed to seek out men with tanned skin because they’re perceived as older, richer and more “dangerous”. Chemically speaking, the melanin responsible for tanning also boosts both your sex drives.

Apparently the two studies complement each other perfectly.

Here is the press-release:

Sperm switch into top gear with the sun

A study has proved that an adequate supply of vitamin D gives sperm an advantage in terms of motility, speed and penetration force
Veldhoven, 19 May 2011 (SRF) Men who top up on vitamin D in the sun or in a solarium, give their sperm an advantage in terms of motility, speed and penetration force. This was the conclusion of a study conducted by scientists from the University of Copenhagen investigating the role of vitamin D in human sperm production.
The scientists tested the quality of sperm from 300 men chosen at random and a detailed analysis of sperm from a further 40 participants was performed in the laboratory. At the same time the level of vitamin D in their blood was measured.
Almost half of the men had an insufficient level of vitamin D, below 50 nmol/l. The optimum level of vitamin D recommended by most experts is a minimum of 75 nmol/l. The sperm in men with higher vitamin D levels demonstrated significantly better performance in terms of motility and speed. In addition, the number of healthy sperm in men with insufficient vitamin D was considerably lower than in participants with normal levels. The ability to absorb calcium was also inhibited as well as the acrosome reaction which occurs during penetration of the female egg. Tests conducted in the laboratory resulted in similar findings.
The Sunlight Research Forum (SRF) is a non-profit organisation based in the Netherlands. Its aim is to make the latest medical and scientific evidence on the effects of moderate exposure to UV radiation available to the general public.
Study:
Martin Blomberg Jensen et al. (University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark): “Vitamin D is positively associated with sperm motility and increases intracellular calcium in human spermatozoa”; in: Human Reproduction, 22 March 2011
Media contact:
Ad Brand
Sunlight Research Forum (SRF)
Tel.: +31 (0)651 358 180
info@sunlightresearchforum.eu
www.sunlightresearchforum.eu

Comments { 2 }

1 2 3 Next »

Melanoma Day: It’s Scary… But Not In The Way You Might Think

May 21st 2012 is Melanoma Day in Russia.

Sources of Vitamin D – which are the safest?

The magic benefits of Vitamin D for our health are by now well known. But which are the best and most natural sources of Vitamin D?

Indoor UV exposure capable of inducing vitamin D

Sun and sun bed Vitamin D

Sun bed vitamin D

UV induced vitamin D

Indoor UV induced vitamin D

Sunbed and Vitamin D

Don’t gamble with your health! Get Vitamin D in the way nature intended it and from the two safest sources of Vitamin D – sunlight and tanning beds.

Melanoma, the most deadly skin-cancer, does not occur from too much sun.

The Surprising Cause of Melanoma (And No, it’s Not Too Much Sun)

When Using the Sun to Fight Cancer, the Dose is What Matters

What Should Your Vitamin D Levels be for Cancer Protection?

Natural Treatment for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

10 UV Tanning tips for your next visit to a tanning salon.

A while ago I was asked to write an article about UV tanning tips for the new Directory of Tanning Salons in USA.

Please feel free to copy and use this article about UV Tanning Tips from article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6603338

Is it possible that Vitamin D make you tan?

I suppose you know by now that tanning is the best way to make Vitamin D, but does also Vitamin D make you tan?

Many visitors are arriving to thetanningguru.com after having searched in Google for the answer to the question: “Does Vitamin D make you tan?”.

Does Melanin Work Like A Natural Sunscreen During Tanning?

Melanin is what many dark-skinned people want to have less of, while many white-skinned people wish to have more.

Melanin is the pigment that gives our hair, skin and eyes their color. It is produced, not only in the skin, but also in many internal organs. In fact, Melanin plays many more roles in the human body than coloring.

Can tanning really make you healthy?

Today there are two totally opposite opinions among people about tanning:

Tanning is dangerous because you can get skin-cancer from it; and

Tanning is healthy because it will give you Vitamin D

The fact is that both opinions above about tanning are right but the second is more right than the first.

Sunlight and vitamin D-rich diet can reduce the risk of breast-cancer with up to 43 %.

Sun and a vitamin D-rich diet reduce the risk of breast-cancer by up to 43 percent

Have a question about tanning? In that case I will personally answer any question you might have about how to tan correctly.

Question about tanning From: C

It is proved that sunshine make children stronger and now a new research also show that tanners make stronger children.

Sperm switch into top gear with the sun

NEWS (not ads!) about Tanning & Vitamin D

Languages

Previous Posts