That’s Not A Beauty Mark: Melanoma Awareness Month

Mole. Freckle. Blemish. Birthmark. Other wise known as beauty marks, these things decorate the skin of men and women around the world. These markings add a touch of unique flare to each of our personalities, and they are a trademark of individual beauty.

Marilyn Monroe, Cindy Crawford, Eva Mendes, and Angelina Jolie have some of the most iconic beauty marks. But, they’re not the only ones!
But sometimes, something that you think is an innocent and cute marking could be a sign that there is something more serious happening.

What is… Melanoma?

Skin cancer. Melanoma is the clustering of melanin-producing cells (the cells that give your skin pigment). Causing malignant tumors and growths.
While there isn’t an exact answer as to what causes melanoma in each person, we do know that exposure to UV radiation such as sunlight increases the risk of developing it. Even if you don’t spend much time in direct sunlight or indoor tanning, chances are that your exposure to UV radiation is higher than you think.
That doesn’t mean that your are guaranteed to develop malignant growths, but we do have some suggestions for you to follow to help prevent it from happening.

Beauty Mark Or Something More Serious?

1.Check Often

If you have a lot of freckles, moles, or other beauty marks the first step is to take note of their size and location on your body. If you notice that one or more of them are increasing in size, or changing color you’ll definitely want to visit your dermatologist.

2. Reduce UV Exposure

That doesn’t mean that you have to avoid going out in the sun all together, though. It just means that you’re a little bit crafty about how to protect your skin when you do.

• Wear long sleeves and full-length pants to keep most of your skin covered. Thin, lightweight cotton works especially well in the heat of summer months.
• Wear a hat to keep the sun off of your face and polarized sunglasses to reduce the amount of UV rays reaching your eyes. If hats aren’t your style, consider a bandanna or head scarf.

Did you know that you’re more likely to get a sunburn on cloudy/overcast days? We assume that because we can’t see a lot of light that we are safe from the UV rays. Make sure that you take the right precautions no matter the weather.

3. USE SPF

There isn’t a way around it: if you want to protect your skin you need to use products designed to do just that. If you can’t wear long sleeves and pants, then you’ll want to boost the level of SPF that you’re applying. Fun Fact: SPF stands for “Sun Protection Factor”
Summer will soon be upon us, keep your skin protected by taking the steps to reduce UV exposure. Tans are nice and glowing, but the costs to your health could be serious! Our defense fluid SPF 30 can be found here.

The month of May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so do your skin a favor and help to decrease your risk factors for Melanoma. Aveda is known for their natural ingredient-based remedies.

Find out more about Aveda’s efforts to save your skin from the sun. Schedule an appointment with our salon to help undo some of your sun damage with a green science peel today!