in His hands

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As kids we get somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of our sun. If this is true I think I must have gotten a higher percentage because I was outdoors most every warm day of my youth...and beyond.

UVA rays cause skin aging and wrinkling and contribute to skin cancer, such as melanoma. Because UVA rays pass effortlessly through the ozone layer (the protective layer of atmosphere, or shield, surrounding the earth), they make up the majority of our sun exposure. Beware of tanning beds because they use UVA rays as well as UVB rays. A UVA tan does not help protect the skin from further sun damage; it merely produces color and a false sense of protection from the sun.

UVB rays are also dangerous, causing sunburns, cataracts (clouding of the eye lens), and effects on the immune system. They also contribute to skin cancer. Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is thought to be associated with severe UVB sunburns that occur before the age of 20. Most UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, but enough of these rays pass through to cause serious damage.

UVC rays are the most dangerous, but fortunately, these rays are blocked by the ozone layer and don't reach the earth.

Back when I was growing up we did not have sun screen other than a hat, long sleeves, and long pants. Needless to say I was having not of that on a hot summers day.

As an adult there was a machine that was developed called a tanning bed. Resting in this warm space felt so good to aching bones and I could get some color in my pale skin. We did know of the dangers of these machines then because we had to sign off on them to get into the beds.

This excerpt from MSNBC confirms that it is more serious than we thought. Tanning beds have already been linked to an increased risk of the deadliest type of skin cancer, melanoma, and now new research shows they can also raise the odds of developing the most common form of the disease. Scientists at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut found that young people who tanned on the indoor beds had a 69 percent increased chance of suffering from early-onset basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

I have a constant battle fighting skin cancers as are many adults I know. I have had a doctor and a friend die from skin cancers.

There are three types of skin cancer: Basal Cell Carsinoma, Squamous Cell Carsinoma, and Melanoma. I have dealt with Basal Cell spots for most of my adult life as have my mom, dad, and many of my friends. For the past year I have been dealing with squamous cell.

The Mayo Clinic staff says this: Squamous cells lie just below the outer surface of your skin. Squamous cell carcinomas develop when cell death and renewal no longer occur as they should. Ordinarily, new cells push older cells toward your skin's surface, and the older cells die and are sloughed off — a process controlled by DNA, your body's genetic material. But if DNA is damaged, this orderly pattern is disrupted, causing cells to grow out of control. Most of the damage to DNA in skin cells results from exposure to UV radiation from sunlight and commercial tanning lamps and beds. The damage is cumulative, so the more time you spend in the sun or in a tanning booth, the greater your chance of developing skin cancer. Your risk increases even more if most of your outdoor exposure occurs at times of the day when the sun is strongest.

I write this blog as a warning to young people (who most likely won't read my blog), but maybe their loved one will...and for you the reader asking you to not wait to see a dermatologist. I believe seeing a dermatologist on a yearly basis is as important as seeing an eye doctor or getting a colonoscopy!

Fresh Find: Look at this beautiful lamb's wool throw! Beautiful!!!