Skin Cancer and Your Lips: What You Forgot to Protect
Whether you’re at the beach, hanging out in your backyard, or on a hike through a park, you know how important it is to protect yourself and your loved ones from sun damage. You wear sunscreen, sunglasses, maybe even a hat, and you make sure that your family does the same.
But what do you do to keep those ultraviolet rays from damaging the delicate skin on your lips? Advanced Dentistry by Design has tips to make sure you are informed and able to protect you and your family!
Why You Should Protect Your Lips
The outer layer of your lips is much thinner than that of the rest of your skin. They also have almost no melanin, the pigment in skin that naturally helps screen out the harmful rays of the sun. This is why lips rarely tan, but easily burn.
Lips get a lot of sun exposure, being on your face and all, and are rarely covered. Prolonged sun damage on and around your lips leads to those fine lines and wrinkles that no one wants, as well as some more serious conditions.
The Big Deal with Sun Damage
An estimated 3,500 new cases of skin cancer on the lips are diagnosed every year and many others develop actinic cheilitis, also known as farmer’s lip or sailor’s lip. This condition forms after chronic sun exposure and is characterized by persistent dryness and cracking, leading to precancerous lesions and extensive wrinkling.
You May Actually Be Hurting Your Lips
When we are out in the Carson City sun, our lips naturally get dry and many people unconsciously lick them to add some moisture back. Some dermatologists feel that the saliva may act like a lens and intensify the sun exposure.
The same holds true for all of those shiny lip glosses. They do not help! In fact, they actually increase your cancer risk, by allowing more UV rays to penetrate the skin (like when people used to tan with baby oil). Unless your lip gloss has an SPF, it is probably harming you rather than helping.
What to Do
The best way to protect your lips is to use lip care products containing sunscreen. You should always apply 30 minutes before going into the sun, and reapply often while you are exposed. If you are headed for the pool or the beach, make sure to find a product that is water-repellant and to reapply as soon as you get out of the water.
Advanced Dentistry by Design wants to make sure all of our patients are protected from the sun and from any type of cancer. If you have questions about any of this information, don’t be afraid to call us today!