Summer is here and the media has blasted enough
(we hope) warnings about skin cancer to have you slathering lotions and creams
(SPF 15 or higher) all over your exposed skin.
But have you thought of your risk of exposure via your scalp?
We are all taught to say our ABC's when checking
for moles elsewhere (Asymmetry, Border
Irregularity and uneven Color) but
how many of us actually check our scalps?
The stylists at Believe aren't trained medical
professionals nor do we hold a degree in Dermatology, but we would certainly
let you know if we see anything that looks dangerous to us when you come in for
haircuts or treatments, but what can you do for yourself to keep safe from the dreaded melanoma?
First, know that skin cancer of the scalp isn't
as common as on other areas of your body, but it can occur there and, as it can
be hidden by your hair, it can sometimes be there a while without being
detected.
Those of you with thicker hair have less to worry
about because hair acts as a barrier to the sun’s harmful rays and protects the
scalp. But if your hair is thinning or you are going bald (or if you husband
has actually gone bald) there is a
greater danger.
Light skinned people
have less melanin in their skin to block UV rays and bald people will have less
hair to block those same rays, so they are more exposed to their damaging
effects.
Use of a zinc oxide or titanium oxide
sunblock or a sunscreen that absorbs both UV-A and UV-B rays can reduce sun
exposure and reduce risk for balding people. (Make sure to reapply it every few
hours.)
But what to do to protect yourself if you have
hair? Just get it lank and greasy?
Pick a hair product
that offers protection from the sun, like Chromastics Sulfate-free
Shampoo, Leave-in Conditioner and Spray Gel or Repair Light and Repair Extreme
Molding Cream; White Tea Daily Conditioner or Aestalance After Swim Shampoo. Also
Iden Bee Propolis products contain Sunflower oil, which is a natural sun
protectant. We carry all these products
at Believe.
You may also consider
using a light sunscreen spray product for the skin (with high SPF) and spray
only at the roots of hair and smoothing over the scalp. What you are trying to
do is rub the product into the scalp itself so it doesn’t just absorb into the
hair follicle, leaving the hair greasy and offering little protection to the
scalp.
Also, change your part
often so one area of the scalp is not consistently exposed to the sun. Look for
changes or discolorations where your hair is parted or near any cowlicks.
When you are at the
beach, you can use heavier cream Kingsley
Swim Cap Cream (which he developed for the 1984 Olympic synchronized
swimming team). Slather the cream over hair and into scalp, then style hair
back into a slick ponytail.
Zinc oxide, an
effective sunblock, is also sold in powder form that can be sprinkled on hair
and used as a dry shampoo, but tests are still underway to discover its degree
of protection in powder form.
Hats are the best way
to protect your scalp, however. Remember to pick a hat for more than its
fashion statement alone. The tighter the
weave of a hat, the less exposure your scalp has to damaging UV-A and UV-B
rays.
Tightly woven hats
will also be hotter than more open weave hats, so why not take advantage of the
heat, cover your hair with a heavy conditioner like Chromastics Leave-In
Conditioner, wrap your hair in a bandana and use the sun as a heat generator to
help the conditioning treatment go deep into your hair shaft, repairing damage
while preventing sunburn?
There are hats
manufactured with additional ultraviolet protection such as Coolibar hats made
out of Suntect fabric and rated as UPF of 50+. These hats are recommended by
the Skin Cancer Foundation and can be found at: http://www.coolibar.com.
One last thing, why not make
a pact with your partner or good friend to (on a regular basis) check each
others scalps and other hard-t0-see yourself places, like the back of neck and
ears, for any strange growths or discolorations? Helping each other in such
ways is a true mark of love, we Believe.