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Glossing Over the Facts? Lip balms can do more than add color, taste good or cure blemishes. A new study shows they can be a determining factor in preventing skin cancer 
The right lip balm can help prevent skin cancer, a new study shows, but the wrong one can help cause it. Lip balms with SPF in them can protect lips from harmful UV rays, while shiny or glossy balms without an SPF can actually increase the chance of developing skin cancer. According to a recent study, less than one in four Americans wear any form of lip protection at all. "Many people do use sunscreen," says Christine Brown, M.D., dermatologist at Baylor University Medical Center, "however, they tend to forget their lips." While the problem associated with lip gloss may apply to more women than men, Jennifer Cather, M.D., dermatologist at Baylor University Medical Center says that doctors see more problems with men forming skin cancer on their lips than women. "I'm actually more worried about the men. When I think about who actually has more problems on their lips, it's men," she says. "I think that we need to get men into the habit of using chapstick with sunscreen in it." The link between glossy lip balms and skin cancer can be likened to using baby oil in the sun to develop a tan Cather says. Dermatologists further recommend women avoid wearing lip gloss altogether while in the sun, unless there is a layer of SPF balm underneath. "For people who are planning to be outdoors for more than 20 minutes at a time - they really should have a specific lip sun block with an SPF of 30 ideally," Brown says. Signs of early skin cancer development apply to lips as well Cather says. "Usually what the cancer looks like is a little, scaly red spot," she says. "If you have persistently dry cracked lips, if any spot hurts more than the others - anything that lasts longer than six weeks that is red, or scaly or painful needs to be evaluated." White spots can also be an indication of skin cancer, she says. Cancerous spots that develop on the lower lip, however, can be particularly difficult to treat. "When skin cancer occurs on the lower lip it has the potential to be much more aggressive and metastasize to surrounding lymph nodes," Brown says. But while skin cancer is more likely to develop on the lower lip, both the top and the bottom lips should be protected, Cather says. In addition to yearly skin exams, Cather recommends that people start protecting their skin, if not for themselves, to set an example for others and younger generations, "You can start helping people and start saving lives if you start adopting sun protecting techniques." |
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