While no form of cancer is a laughing matter, some forms are often considered less dangerous by most people. Skin cancer is one such form that seems somewhat innocuous, but is actually very dangerous.

The Shinny on Skin Cancer

Any way you cut it, cancer is a scary thing. Next to AIDS, cancer is just about the last thing you want to hear when you are at the doctor’s office. Although medical research has come a long way when it comes to treating many forms of cancer, it is still a horrific diagnosis. Throw in the fact that chemotherapy treatment is brutal to undergo, and you have a deadly disease with as nearly a deadly treatment.

As you probably know by now, there are many different forms of cancer. Some are slow growing and treatable, while others prove to be terminal in nearly every case. This leads many to consider some cancers more serious than others. In truth, all cancers are serious and some of the ones that people brush off as not serious can kill you. Skin cancer is one such form.

So, what is skin cancer? A simple description is the abnormal growth of cells on your skin. It tends to be categorized in three ways – melanoma, basal and squamous. Anyone can get skin cancer, but individuals with fair skin tend to be more susceptible. Dark tans or naturally dark skin do not protect you against skin cancer – a common misconception.

Of the three types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly. Fortunately, it is also the rarest of the three. Melanoma is usually considered to be associated with moles, but not always. The association is often made because melanoma often is found with collections of melanocytes, cells that produce the black pigment found in moles. To the naked eye, it can be difficult to tell the difference between moles and melanoma. If you have moles, and most people do, the key is to watch for any changes to the moles such as expansion, bleeding or itching. If melanoma is not treated early, it can spread to your lymph nodes and then the rest of the body.

Basal cell and squamous skin cancer are more common, but far less deadly. Basal tends to stick to the impacted area of the skin and not spread to the internal body. It should be treated, but is rarely considered a terminal situation. Squamous is a less common than Basal, but packs more of a punch. Although it can spread, it tends to appear as red, open sores when it does. Unless you completely fail to use common sense by seeing a doctor at some point, it rarely makes it to a terminal state.

Unlike many forms of cancer, skin cancer is preventable if you use common sense. If you are going to be outside in the sun for a significant time, wear sun block with a SPF 15 rating or better. Avoid tanning booths, which can cause the same damage as the sun. If you have moles, check them once a month in the mirror for any noticeable changes, bleeding. If a mole starts to itch, it is time to make an appointment with a dermatologist.

Everyone ages and it is a natural phenomenon but no one want to show there age. Anti-aging treatments are available to help you appear several years younger than you actually are. It is possible to look and feel younger in just a few days with the proper anti-aging treatment.

The first step in starting any type of anti aging treatment is to consult a knowledgeable skin care expert. Just going out and purchasing anti-aging skin care product off the shelf may give you some of the desired results but to obtain the maximum benefits you should first consult skin care expert. A skin care expert can evaluate the type of skin you have, determine the best course of action, and finally suggest the best products to use to get the maximum results.

The cause of the anti-aging treatment will depend largely on what type of treatment you need and if multiple treatments will be needed. For example; a surgical face peal, a procedure that removes the top layer of your skin from you face, will cost more that a chemical face peal. Using an exfoliate will cost less than a chemical face peal.

Shopping for an anti-aging treatment on a budget may not produce very effect results or the results may not last very long. Always check out the person who is administering the anti-aging treatment to make sure he or she is a professional. You should also use the Internet to determine if there are any hazards associated with the type of treatment you have elected to use. Wikipedia-org is a good place to start on the Internet. This website supplies an abundance of information on just about anything you want to know about and it does not try and sell you anything.

Most anti-aging clinics will give you a free assessment. After the clinic’s assessment you can determine the type and cost of the treatment you need. Since most medical insurance companies will not pay for any anti-aging treatment you will need to pay for the treatment out of your own pocket.

If the cost of the treatment is out of your budget then you may want to try some of the low cost, over the counter products that have been around for a long time and have been proven to produce some positive results.

Aloe Vera will help rejuvenate and tone skin all over. A naturally cooling gel, the Aloe Vera botanical ingredients work together to stimulate the blood circulation and naturally soften the skin.

Vitamin K which is popular among eye care products. It is also clinically proven to reduce dark circles around the eyes and treats spider veins. Vitamin K is also proven to be effective in treating broken capillaries and bruising.

Vitamin E is also clinically proven as an effective antioxidant. It also improves our skin’s moisture and content, but also has skin protection properties and is good in smoothing our skin.

Beta Carotene helps protect Vitamin C from oxidation, which enables it to perform at optimum efficiency. Symptoms of Beta Carotene deficiency include ache, dry dull hair, dry skin and thickened scaly skin on the palms and soles of the feet.

Bioflavanoids provide visible benefits to the anti-aging process such as reducing wrinkles, improving skin tone, helping to prevent sagging skin as well as improves pigmentation. Bioflavanoids are the brightly colored pigments found in most fruits and vegetables.

Foti also called He Shou Wu in China is legendary in its ability to lengthen life. Modern studies have show that Foti has the ability to lower serum cholesterol, prevent premature gray hair, promote red blood cell growth, and to increase longevity on a cellular level. This herb raises the level of the naturally occurring antioxidant Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) in the body.

Green Tea Contains antioxidants that may protect against heart disease, several types of cancer, and skin damage.

If you just feel that you need vitamins, supplements or herbs to fight the aging process then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

I was so upset because I was living at the beach and having a tan was so important to me. Tanning was the worst thing to do if I wanted to hide the white spots that wouldnt tan on my skin. My doctor prescribed a steroid cream and antibiotics – they didnt help at all.

For most people, vitiligo is a chronic condition. For me that was not the case. Mine went away when I started to adjust my diet and started to drink raw juices and make other positive lifestyle changes.

At that time, I didnt know exactly what made it go away, just like I didnt know what brought it on.

Now, after a few decades of study and experience in holistic health, nutrition, detox, and alternative medicine – I have a hypothesis related to vitilago. I never read any material about this anywhere, but like often occurs with me I determine helpful approaches to health challenges by combining my knowledge, experience, common sense, and intuitive abilities.

Ill tell you my hypothesis. I wont go into how I came to my hypothesis other than to say that right before I had my case of vitilago I was put on lots of antibiotics for bronchitis and other respiratory issues. I also was dealing with some major life stressors.

My hypothesis is that Vitilago is a systemic fungal condition similar to, if not, Candidiasis (yeast overgrowth). Internal fungal overgrowth often shows up on the skin (psoriasis is another skin condition affected by this).

Overtaxed adrenals are often at play here as well – so stress can play a big part in contributing to this. Often Candida issues go hand in hand with stressed adrenal glands.

One of the best ways to combat a fungal problem is to not feed the fungus (it LOVES sugar – so sugar and simple carbohydrates like bread and pasta – are a big no no) and to use a natural anti-fungal substance (Im not talking about man- made medications – antifungal meds are chemicals that are often extremely harsh on the liver). Also, resting and nourishing rests the body to lessen the stress hormones released by the adrenals.

In my opinion the best natural anti-fungal substances come from our plant kingdom (nature takes care of nature) specifically therapeutic essential oils. Many of our essential oils have anti-fungal properties (and they smell so good!) such as Purification and Melrose.

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The Smoothster is a transparent colored mineral product that
unifies the color and evens the skin tone of the face. Mineral’s
natural matte softly reflects light, visually smoothing out the
surface and color of the skin, making you look younger,
healthier and confident. Nanotechnology is a breakthrough for
minerals, nanoparticles have different properties than their
larger versions; Nanopigments reflect light more evenly so the
color is more transparent on the skin, they cling to the skin
surface refracting and reflecting light as a sun protection.
Pure nanominerals are inert, won’t irritate or clog pores,
they’re Very Water Resistant (that’s a rating meaning the
product won’t wash away while swimming) and won’t rub off onto
clothing like oil based products do.

Now that you know about this product, do you need it? That’s a
big Yes, if you are interested in looking your best when working
closely with people, if you feel more confident not worrying
about blemishes or uneven skin tone. The Smoothster can be used
on the face, neck and hands to smooth out uneven skin conditions
such as sun or age spots. Colorescience is also the manufacturer
of Sunforgettable, SPF 30 clear mineral sunscreen; the
Smoothster is a colored version of the mineral nanotechnology,
and protects your skin from the sun as well (although it has not
been rated as yet).

This product is easy to use, the Smoothster contains warm tan
and soft yellow pigments and you will quickly become familiar
and comfortable with the no problem application; yellow
transparent pigment brightens and evens ruddy complexion and
rosacea, and the reddish tan contours, evens out darker toned
skin and can be used as a “Bronzer”. You will see the pigment
disappear as you rub it into the skin and your evenly toned skin
emerges.

This is a fantastic, natural looking product that is easy to
apply as you rub it in and forget about it. You will look and
feel the same as ever … only better.

? 2005 Jolene Schwartz

For a person affected by vitiligo, the first few white patches that appear on his skin can be quite tolerable. These patches usually appear in patterns. These patterns have three forms. One is the focal pattern wherein depigmentation occurs in a limited area. Second is the segmental pattern wherein patches appear only on one side of the body. Third, which is probably the worst one, is the generalized pattern wherein the depigmentation occurs in different areas of the body. Adding to this is the uncertainty of how the vitiligo will spread.

For some people, the white patches spread gradually while for some, in quick succession. Some findings say that emotional distress can cause the affected areas to increase in number. Common areas of appearance are the armpits, groin, around the mouth, eyes, nostril, navel, and genitals. A person with vitiligo may also have premature graying of the scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard.

Another surgical treatment using the pigmented skin is skin grafts using blisters. The patient’s pigmented skin is exposed to heat, which then causes blisters. These blisters are cut off and then transplanted to the depigmented area. Another simpler option is tattooing or micropigmentation. This is usually done on patients with dark skin. Tattoos, however, tend to fade in time and may even lead to blister outbreaks.

There are several other treatments for vitiligo patients. There are medical therapies, surgical therapies, and adjunctive therapies. Under medical therapies are topical steroid therapy, topical psoralen photochemotherapy, oral psoralen photochemotherapy, and depigmentation. Surgical therapy, on the other hand, include skin grafts from a person’s own tissue, skin grafts using blisters, micropigmentation or tattooing, and autologous melanocyte transplants.

Lastly, for adjunctive therapies, one can use sunscreens and cosmetics. To supplement these said therapies, one may opt to take support vitamins.

Vitiligo is a relatively uncommon skin disease, estimated to affect about one percent of the entire world popularity. The primary symptom of vitiligo is white patches of skin, which may grow to cover large parts of the body or even the entire body. This disease is most frustrating when it is on visible areas of skin, such as the face.

The symptoms of vitiligo are caused by non-functioning melanocytes, which are the cells in your skin responsible for producing melanin, the primary pigment in your skin. When the melanocytes are shut down and melanin production stops, your skin loses its pigmentation, and turns white.

Doctors and researchers are not yet completely certain exactly what causes vitiligo. They do know that genetic factors play a role in a person’s susceptibility. They also believe that it is, or can be, an auto immune disease, meaning that your body’s immune system attacks and damages your melanocytes, which then causes the vitiligo.

Since doctors are not certain of the cause, most treatment options involve treating the symptoms. There are several treatments that may be used to attempt to get your melanocytes to resume production of melanin.

One treatment involves grafting healthy skin (with functioning melanocytes) into the affected areas. Other methods involve using ultraviolet light to stimulate the patient’s melanocytes. One of the most promising treatment options uses a laser to stimulate the melanocytes. This method is showing excellent results with minimal side effects.

There are also natural approaches to treating vitiligo, most notably herbal and homeopathic approaches. Both herbal and homeopathic approaches involve attempting to address the root problems, usually relating to the immune system, digestive system, liver, kidneys, and also using topical products to target the skin itself.

The truth of the matter, however, is that there is no cure for vitiligo. Treatments are available to treat the symptoms, but there is no cure to address and remove the root problems.

Would you use a cream or soap that may have the following long term side effects ?
skin cancer, liver damage, kidney damage or poisoning?
In the modern appearance conscious society in which we live there is a myth that lighter paler complexions portray beauty, riches and success.
This misguided belief has resulted in a huge market in the UK of skin lightening products. Some people use them secretly knowing what the side effects are, others using poorly labelled under the counter products not knowing what dangers they are letting themselves in for. Manufacturers may not be fully versed with the side effects or labelling may be misleading or economical with the truth.
Why do we have colour in our skin?
There are three reasons for the colour of our skin:
The cells contained within the dermis and epidermis provide a natural yellow, white colour
o Superficial blood vessels provide a blue or red tint determined by oxygen content
o Melanin produced by melanocytes scattered within the basal layer of the skin
It is this third point which determines how dark a persons skin is; more melanin production results in darker skin. Melanin has another key function – it plays a major protective role. It is the skins own natural protection from the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun. Without it the skin is extremely vulnerable and we would have to cover exposed skins with sun screen or risk a greater chance of developing skin cancer.
How skin lightening products work
There are two chemicals found in skin lightening products, Hydroquinone or Mercury.
o Hydroquinone (C6H6O2) is a severely toxic and very powerful chemical used in photo processing, the manufacture of rubber and is an active agent in hair dyes.
o Mercury in the form of Mercury Chloride & Ammoniated Mercury is carcinogenic. They appear on the list of toxic substances that can only be purchased via pharmacies with prescribed labels of toxicity.
Both products perform a similar process. In the short term they will initially cause the skin to lighten by inhibiting the production of melanin. Without melanin formation in the basal layer no brown pigmentation will be visible.
The long term effects, however, are those that must be addressed.
The long term effects of using skin lightening products
Hydroquinone or Mercury applied to the skin will react with ultra violet rays and re-oxidise, leading to more pigmentation and premature ageing. More product is then applied in an attempt to correct the darker blotchy appearance.
These are the beginnings of a vicious cycle. By altering the skins natural structure and inhibiting the production of Melanin, it’s natural protection, the skin is more susceptible to skin cancer.
Prolonged use of Hydroquinone will thicken collegen fibres damaging the connective tissues. The result is rough blotchy skin leaving it with a spotty cavier appearance.
Mercury will slowly accumulate within the skin cells striping the skin of it’s natural pigment leaving behind the tell tale signs of gray/ blue pigmentation in the folds of the skin. In the long term the chemical will damage vital organs and lead to liver and kidney failure and mercury poisoning.
Are these products legal?
Products containing up to 2 percent Hydroquinone were legally available in the UK until 2001 when the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued the draft 24th Commission Directive. This bans preparations with Hydroquinone due to the long term effects as it accumulates in the tissues. The UK Cosmetic Product Regulations 1978 prohibits the use of Mercury compounds.
However, the demand for theses products is so high that there are illegal imports via small operators from Asia and Africa of creams, lotions and soaps of up to 6 percent which are sold under the counter in the UK.
Graham McPherson from Trading Standards said ‘we regularly find consignments varying from a couple of hundred items to a couple of thousand items on a monthly basis.’
Second generation of skin lightening products
Sujata Kashap, a skin care specialist, has been investigating a new highly toxic chemical that is already hitting the shops. Sujata said ‘even if hydroquinone and mercury products are successfully banned in the UK there is be a second generation of products containing Kajoic Acid that also work by inhibiting melanin production. Which means that in 5 years time we will be back in the same situation.’
We need to stop this ‘disease’ from spreading
For many years beauty has been associated with being fair. Models are as white as possible and people are commended on the fairness of their skin. We feel that we must bow down to the social pressures or we suffer from the psychological effects which cause us to use products which may permanently disfigure or cause horrific side effects.
Banning products containing Hydroquinone and Mercury will not stop the products from entering the UK and being sold under the counter. The only way we can make a positive impact on preventing this ‘disease’ from spreading is through continuous campaigns raising awareness via the media and the government.

Treating vitiligo would always prove to be risky. The side effects of treatments are as unpredictable the disorder’s cause. That is why vitiligo treatment should always be done with utmost care and patience.

A person’s own tissues mat be used for surgical treatment through autologous skin grafts. The doctor removes portions of the pigmented skin and then replaces the affected skin with it. Possible complications for this treatment include infections, scarring, a cobblestone appearance, or a spotty repigmentation. The greatest risk would be the skin’s failure to repigment at all.

Another surgical treatment using the pigmented skin is skin grafts using blisters. The patient’s pigmented skin is exposed to heat, which then causes blisters. These blisters are cut off and then transplanted to the depigmented area.

Another simpler option is tattooing or micropigmentation. This is usually done on patients with dark skin. Tattoos, however, tend to fade in time and may even lead to blister outbreaks.

Lastly, vitiligo can be cured surgically through autologous melanocyte transplants. Multiplying a patient’s pigmented skin through a special cell culture solution that grows melanocytes does this. The reproduced skin then is transplanted over the depigmented areas.

Additional therapies include sunscreens, which helps protect the screen from the damaging effect of the sun. Cosmetics, on the other hand, are temporary solutions, which are used to cover up the patient’s affected areas. For vitamin supplements, which may help strengthen the body’s system thus aiding the treatment of vitiligo.

There are several strategies that can be used to cope up with the emotional stress that comes with this disorder. The most important one would be finding a doctor who has inept knowledge of vitiligo and will give the patient a firm sense of security. Talking to other people with vitiligo will also help, making one aware that he or she is not alone.