Living in Shade

I found an article in Wednesday’s San Fernando Valley Sun which examines an issue that a lot of people seem to forget about. That being the risk of getting skin cancer in on your eyelids. Its an area that people often forget to think about, yet it does happen and it is an area that needs to be protected.

“Skin Cancer on the Eyelids Surprisingly Common” examines the issue of how prevalent a problem this is, as well as just what you can do about it. Cancer on the eyelids is said to account for somewhere between 5 and 10 percent all skin cancers. This is far from a majority, but its also a fairly significant percentage when you think about just how many different places skin cancer can occur. If not treated properly skin cancer on the eyelids could cause major tissue damage, blindness and has been known to spread from the eyelids into the nasal and orbital cavities.

The shocking part, is that the eyelids are often a part that people tend to ignore. You see people smothering sunscreen on every part of their body, yet they oftentimes ignore the eyes.

“Eyelid skin cancer is not something most people think about,” said C. William Hanke, MD, senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “With their thin, delicate structures, the eyes and surrounding areas are particularly prone to cancers. And, it’s an area people often forget to protect from the sun.”

Now it is true that you can’t just use your normal bottle of sunscreen to rub on your eyes, but this does not mean they can be ignored. There are specially formulated sunscreens you can use that are designed so they won’t irritate your eyes.

However, what I recommend is just getting yourself a nice pair of sunglasses. I don’t understand how anyone could not want to protect their eyes with a pair of shades. Not only are you saving your eyes, but you can look great doing it. Sunglasses are hip these days and when you can be doing something good for your health and still look marvelous, it is a no-brainer in my mind.

Remember that as with really almost any disease, early detection is the key. Early detection where the eyelids are concerned is fairly difficult to detect as ofentimes tumors will grow under the skin for years before reaching the surface. This is much longer than it takes on other parts of the body.

Some of the warning signs for skin cancer on the eyelids are…

- lumps or bumps that bleed frequently or do not go away

- persistent redness of the eyes or inflamation of the eyelids that do not respond to normal medication.

- an unexplained loss of eyelashes

The good thing about skin cancers of the eyelids though is the preventive measures that can be taken. In addition to or in conjunction with the sunglasses a hat can be worn for UV protection. Widebrimmed hats work best as they provide the most shield from the sun’s rays. A hat with a 3 inch wide brim is said to block almost half of the sun’s harmful UVB ray’s from hitting your eyelids.

For a great selection of protective sunglasses and hats that will shield you from the sun’s rays, check out our sponsor at Physician Endorsed Store.

Look stylish and look out for your health at the same time!