Be Aware Of The Dangers Of Skin Cancer

According to the Singapore Cancer Society, skin cancer is the seventh most common cancer in Singapore. The cancer can take a variety of forms but is mainly caused by exposure to the sun’s UV rays; common skin cancer is attributed to a slow build up of the effects of sunlight over many years.

Smoking is acknowledged as one of the greatest health hazards today. Apart from its obvious roles as a carcinogen or cancer- causing substance, smoking dries out your skin renders it unattractive. Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin, which is why smokers often appear pale and unhealthy – the skin takes on a sallow or grayish cast. Younger smokers are not immune. Those who start smoking at 15 or so are subjecting themselves to premature wrinkling, and may find their face much more wrinkled than their counterparts at 40.

Even more serious smoking triples the risk of developing Squamous Cell Carcinoma a dangerous form of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body if not treated promptly. Once study found that those who smoked more than a pack a day had four times the rate of Squamous Cell carcinomas than non-smokers. You can be careful about your food intake, exercise regularly and avoid the sun, but those ‘healthy habits’ mean nothing if you continue to smoke.

Similarly, alcohol dehydrates the skin and interferes with blood circulation, robbing the skin of moisture and vital nutrients. And just because you drink plenty of water the following day doesn’t mean it will offset alcohol’s negative effect. The reality is that alcohol creates inflammation throughout the body, including the skin, which result its harmful effects that far outlast dehydration. These include dullness, enlarged pores, discoloration, less elasticity and saggy skin. The blood flow to the skin is altered, giving you an unhealthy appearance for days following a drinking binge. There’s not need to eliminate alcohol from your life altogether, you just have to be smart about it and know when, why and how it works against you. It is true that red wine has been found to be beneficial to health just as beer has, but this evidence is under no circumstances a valid excuse to continue drinking excessively. Moderation is the key.

Smoking and drinking have real detrimental effect on your skin, let alone the effect on your health in the future.