Dermatologist Christine Brown has noticed an increased risk of cancer in people who wear clear, shiny lip balms and glosses during exposure to the sun.  Instead of acting as a protection, as many people expect, the shiny stuff actually attracts the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays instead.

A recent study says less than 1 in 4 Americans use lip protection but lips don’t have the same natural defense measures that other areas of the skin do.  The lips age more quickly and are prone to the development of very serious forms of cancer in people who spend a great deal of time in the sun.

Brown, a dermatologist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, recommends sun blocks with 30 SPF formulated especially for the lips.  She recommends applying it in the morning and repeatedly throughout the day.  Women can apply it under lipsticks and other cosmetics for the lips, including shiny, clear balms and glosses, for safety in the sun.  She advocates the use of SPF 30 sun block for lips anytime exposure to the sun is longer than 20 minutes.

Cancer occurring on the lower lip can be much more aggressive than other forms of skin cancer and there is the potential for spread to nearby lymph nodes.  Any changes to the color of the lip, especially if the lip turns white or opaque, should be checked immediately by a dermatologist as should any persistent flaking or peeling on the lips.

Source: HealthDay