gen boomer lifestyle trends skin sun cancer premature aging cosmetic surgery demko

Sunny GenX Faces Face Premature Aging
Professor David Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service

There's nothing quite like a sun tan to enhance your face value. But all those sun-worshiping GenXers are about to find out what many Baby Boomers already know ... exposure to the sun accelerates premature aging. If you're one of those GenXers who doubt the relationship between sunshine and skin damage, just ask all those Baby Boomers who are waiting in line for reconstructive surgery to hide their premature wrinkles.

Let's face it. Your face is the first thing people see. And just like the miles on your car's odometer, the lines on your face are a measure of the miles you've traveled through time. To make matters worse, premature facial lines tend to "set your odometer ahead", giving the appearance of more time travel than actually occurred. That can lead to one of life's most embarrassing moments, like when someone mistakes you for your date's parent rather than your date's date. Know what I mean?

It takes only a few hours of fun in the sun to result in a lifetime of damaged skin, premature aging and possible reconstructive surgery, warns the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). "Plastic surgeons have a great interest in preventing skin damage because we regularly repair the destruction caused by the sun, including extreme cases where we reconstruct areas of the nose and ear after the ravages of skin cancer," says ASPS President Walter Erhardt, MD.

"ASPS members see patients who want to repair damage caused by ultraviolet rays, particularly on their face. Lying in the sun for a glowing tan may sound like a great idea, but exposure to ultraviolet rays leads to damage down the road", says Dr. Erhardt.

"Excessive sun exposure certainly hastens the deterioration of the skin's appearance and is a common finding among patients in their 40s and 50s who seek facial rejuvenation," says Dr. Erhardt. "That deterioration began a long time ago." "More unsettling to us as caregivers is treating patients with skin cancer because the disease is largely preventable," explains Dr. Erhardt.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, its incidence rate rises faster than any other cancer. Nearly 80 percent of skin cancer appears on the face, head or neck, areas most vulnerable to the sun.

Most skin cancers can be removed surgically by a plastic surgeon. "If the cancer is small enough, the procedure can be done easily on an outpatient basis," reports Dr. Erhardt. "The excision to remove the cancer is small and leaves a barely visible scar when performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon." Larger skin cancers may require more involved surgery and possibly reconstruction.

The ASPS offers the following sun safety tips for spring-breakers:

Wear sunscreen that is both waterproof and perspiration proof.

Make sure the sunscreen protection factor (SPF) is at least 15.

Reapply the sunscreen every hour if it is not waterproof or perspiration proof.

Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Remember that ultraviolet rays pass through water and reflect on sand.

Consider wearing a tee shirt during water activities to avoid burning.

Stay in the shade whenever possible.

Apply lip balm with at least a SPF of 15.

Examine your skin regularly for suspicious changes.

Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon when suspicious skin changes occur.

ASPS is the largest plastic surgery organization in the world, representing physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Here's the bottom-line. Next vacation break, give yourself a break ... from the sun. Afterall, over-exposure to the sun makes you look well-red. But that doesn't make you look smart. It makes you look too stupid to care about premature aging and skin cancer.