FAMOUS PEOPLE IN THE SUN - UV damage does not discriminate! The following celebrities have enjoyed the sunlight as much as the spotlight-but have unfortunately paid the price:
Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys) - melanoma survivor
Regis Philbin (television/talk show host) - three skin cancers of basal and squamous cell types 
Senator John McCain (politician) - three melanomas on shoulder, arm, and temple
Ronald Reagan (former president) - basal cell carcinoma on nose
Maureen Reagan (daughter) - died of melanoma
Bill Clinton (former president) - basal cell carcinoma on back
Sam Donaldson (tv journalist) - melanoma survivor
Bob Marley (legendary musician) - died of melanoma
Roger Moore (actor) - basal cell carcinoma
Burgess Meredith (actor in film Rocky) - died of melanoma
Frank Dicopoulos (soap star-Guiding Light) - basal cell carcinoma
Diana Ashby (wife of NASA astronaut Jeff Ashby) - died of melanoma at 34
George H. Bush (president)- "pre-cancerous" lesions on the face
President George W. Bush - "pre-cancerous" lesions removed
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (president) - malignant melanoma while in White House (unconfirmed) 
Dwight Eisenhower (president & general ) - malignant melanoma
John Milford (actor, helped create the Hollywood Walk of Fame) - died of melanomaFacts and Myths
MYTH: "I don't have to wear sunscreen on a cloudy day."FACT: UV rays are invisible and can reflect through clouds, sand, and snow. Sunscreen with SPF of at least 15 should be applied 365 days a year!
MYTH: "As long as I don't get burned, I'm not at risk for skin cancer."FACT: When UVA and UVB rays absorb into the skin, your body responds by producing more pigment (melanin) to protect from sun damage. Meanwhile, healthy cells begin to mutate after repeated damage and the sun suppresses your immune response. This is the start of a dangerous path to skin cancer, and the process continues the more you expose yourself to harmful rays, regardless of severe burns.
MYTH: "I don't need to worry about the consequences. Besides, only old people develop skin cancer."FACT: The consequences are very real when it comes to the harmful effects of the sun. Skin cancer strikes people of all ages, races, and genders. In fact, melanoma is currently the #1 cancer among 24-29 year olds and the second most common cancer for women between the ages of 30-34. Sun damage (sunspots, wrinkles, etc.) appears with time and continues to accumulate through the years.
MYTH: "Tanning beds are the safe way to tan."FACT: A tan is your body's response to a skin injury, meaning that no tan is a healthy tan. The type of UV light used in tanning salons (UVA rays) causes photo-aging and leads to skin cancer and other skin damage. Remember-great tans make great skin cancers!
MYTH: "I have naturally dark skin. Sun damage does not affect me."FACT: Individuals with dark skin do have more protection from the sun versus a lighter-skinned person, but don't let this fool you. All skin types can develop skin cancer, and everyone needs to be cautious and practice safe preventative measures while enjoying the outdoors!
MYTH: "I'm only attractive when I'm tan."FACT: What's more attractive--a deep, freckled glow with a facial scar from a removed skin cancer or the beauty of a natural skin tone without photodamage? The fact is, many beautiful people (think Marilyn Monroe or Nicole Kidman) have stayed away from the sun's rays and look how successful they were in the beauty department! Focus your energies on getting a glow from the inside out, not the other way around! Besides, a tan is only temporary. Sun damage is permanent! If a tan is absolutely needed in your life, use sunless tanner---the only cheap, "safe" way to tan!
1 comments:
Wow- great post. I'm passing this on to everyone that I know. Thanks so much for this!
-MM
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