UV Radiation | Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals news and discussion blog

Ultraviolet radiation and its effects on the skin

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light and X-rays; it is invisible to the human eye. UV light can be separated into three bands, UVA (400-320nm), UVB (320-290nm) and UVC (290-100nm). Of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface from the sun, approximately 6% is UVB and 94% UVA.

Skin maintains a curious balance with UV radiation. When UV impacts upon skin, the various wavelengths of light penetrate to different levels and thus have a number of effects.

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“Solariums make a mockery of our efforts to reduce skin cancer”: Cancer Council Australia

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Cancer Council Australia has launched one of the strongest public attacks to date on the use and regulation of sunbeds in the country. This follows a report that some solarium devices emit UV radiation six times stronger than the sun at midday in Australia.

In a press release issued today, the CEO of Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Olver, cited a paper published in this month’s Photochemistry and Photobiology journal when calling for the Australian Government to phase out solariums. (more…)

Dear 16-year-old Me

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

A great new viral video from the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund went live earlier this week. Check it out:

Head to the DCMF website for more on their work. You can read more about melanoma on our website.

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in the US, and with summer just around the corner in the northern hemisphere, this is a timely reminder of the dangers of unprotected UV exposure.

Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in America, with more than 3 million cases diagnosed each year and over 10,000 deaths from the disease. Worryingly, unlike most forms of cancer which are declining, skin cancer rates in America are on the rise. There are three common types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Of these, melanoma is the least common, and yet the most frequently lethal form. (more…)

How does indoor tanning cause skin cancer?

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Earlier today, new stats were published by Cancer Research UK highlighting that two young adult Britons are diagnosed with skin cancer every day; a rate which has tripled since the 1970s. There were several factors highlighted as contributing to this increase, but one was most clearly singled out in the release:

“using a sunbed before the age of 35 can increase your risk of melanoma by 75%”

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Further regulation of indoor tanning

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Nearly 18 months ago we blogged about the impending regulation that would undoubtedly be imposed on the sunbed industry as the weight of evidence mounted that ultraviolet light was a carcinogen.

Not long after we published that piece (Teens and sunbed use; the regulation commences), the Brazilian government was the first in the world to take legislation a step further and impose an outright ban on the use of solaria (sunbeds and like devices) for aesthetic use. At the time they were announced, the Brazilian sunbed laws included fines of up to US$860,000 (1.5m reais) for those caught breaching them. (more…)

Allergic to the sun?

Monday, February 21st, 2011

As the Northern Hemisphere approaches the end of winter, we are beginning to see more mentions of ‘sun allergies’ in popular press, online and in social media.

Most people are not actually ‘allergic’ to the sun, but rather are suffering the first symptoms of seasonal or light-induced skin disorders, known medically as photodermatoses. Photodermatoses cause a person’s skin to react to even the briefest sunlight exposure by burning, swelling or developing a rash. Most distressingly, these diseases can have sudden onset where people, who may have never experienced them before, see symptoms following their first day in the spring sun. (more…)

Updated: the AAD’s position statement on vitamin D

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Overnight the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has issued an update on its position statement on vitamin D, a hot topic in dermatology and medicine more broadly (and one we’ve discussed on the blog in some depth in the past).

In a release issued on their website, the AAD reaffirmed its stance that vitamin D – essential for human skeletal health – should be obtained through diet and/or dietary supplements, rather than risking exposure to ultraviolet light, a natural source of vitamin D for humans. (more…)

What’s a freckle?

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

Medically known as ephelides, freckles are small, pigmented spots on the skin which typically occur in multiples. Freckles are usually inherited, though can occasionally be related to disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum or neurofirbomatosis. Freckles occur when the pigment produced by skin cells (melanin) accumulates and become concentrated in small regions or spots. Since the production of this pigment is stimulated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, exposure to UV sources – either solar or artificial – can increase the number freckles or darken the shade of their pigmentation. (more…)

Does sunscreen prevent melanoma? New evidence would suggest so

Thursday, November 18th, 2010

We’ve discussed many different issues relating to sunlight and skin cancer, but few are more hotly debated than the causal link between ultraviolet light (UV) exposure and melanoma. There is, however, building scientific evidence to back the theory that exposing skin to UV is an environmental risk factor for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer which is believed to be on the increase globally. With this premise in mind, a team from The University of Texas Health Science Center set out to determine what effect, if any, sunscreen has on reducing the incidence of melanoma. (more…)