The radiation that emanates from the sun, whilst giving you that much sought after tan, can also cause sunburn and damage the living tissue of your skin.

Overexposure to the sun’s UV – ultraviolet – radiation can make you look like a freshly caught lobster. We all know that too much exposure to the sun can damage our skin, but yet, many of us still chase the rays of the sun hoping that we’ll tan rather than burn.

The truth is that approximately one-third of adults and almost 70% of children are sunburned each year.

Degrees of Sunburn

The obvious sign that you’ve gotten too much sun is reddened skin. The more severe the sunburn is, the more symptoms develop, such as blisters, swelling, fever and chills, weak muscles, nausea and headache. After a few days the skin may begin to itch and peel – a sign that your body is ridding itself of the damaged cells.

Unfortunately, the full extent of sun damage isn’t always visible on the top of your skin. Beneath the surface of the skin, DNA damage is occurring from the ultraviolet light you’ve been exposed to. This causes premature aging and possible skin cancers, the worst of which is melanoma. Continue reading →

Warts are embarrassing and disfiguring lumps that may appear on your hands, feet, face, or any other part of your body. They can also be frustrating to get rid of. There isn’t a common cure for warts, but you can take steps to remove them rather than just hoping they will disappear.

Warts are caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). The virus stimulates cells on the outer layer of the skin. Some types of the HPV may cause warts to grow in the genital area.

Types of Warts

The various types of warts include:

• Flat warts – Common in children and teens, flat warts are small, smooth and flat – most often appearing on the face or on the legs of females.
• Plantar warts – Flesh-colored or brownish bumps, these types of warts have small black dots, which are actually clotted blood vessels. These warts often appear on the soles of the feet and make walking painful.
• Genital warts – These growths may show up within the pubic area, around the anus, vagina or on the genitals. They’re usually very small and are often seen in clusters. This type of wart tends to grow and spread rapidly and some forms may cause cervical cancer.

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