SATURDAY, April 26 (HealthDay News) -- Shiny lip balms and
glosses may attract ultraviolet rays and increase the risk of skin
cancer, warns a dermatologist at Baylor University Medical Center
at Dallas.
Dr. Christine Brown noted that protecting your lips from harmful
sun rays is as important as using sunscreen to protect your skin.
But a recent study found that less than 25 percent of Americans use
some form of lip protection.
Lips are more susceptible than skin to aging from chronic sun
damage and also more prone to developing serious cancers.
"When skin cancer occurs on the lower lip, it has the potential
to be much more aggressive and metastasize to surrounding lymph
nodes," Brown said in a prepared statement.
Shiny balms and glosses don't offer protection. Instead, they
attract the sun's rays to the lips.
"What most people don't realize is they're actually increasing
light penetration through the lip surface by applying something
clear and shiny to them," Brown said.
Women should only wear glossy lipsticks in the sun when they
have a layer of sun protection on underneath, dermatologists
advise.
Anyone who's planning on being outdoors for more than 20 minutes
at a time should use a lip sun block with an SPF of 30. Women
should apply it in the morning under any lipsticks or lip glosses
and then reapply the sun block throughout the day.
People should check their lips for signs of cancer. Consult a
dermatologist if you notice any changes to the color of the lip
surface (an area turns opaque or white), or if you have persistent
peeling or flaking of a spot on your lip, Brown said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about
lip and oral cancer.
