Survey: Women Want Youthful Skin Over Fancy Wardrobe

The Syneron Consumer Beauty Insights Survey of more than 1,000 women over age 25 reports that 79 percent prefer having youthful skin that would make them feel more confident than a designer wardrobe. Findings also show that only 8 percent of women are satisfied with their current appearance. In addition, 42 percent of women would be willing to have a surgical cosmetic procedure in the next five years and 63 percent would be open to a non-surgical procedure during this time. When it comes to non-surgical procedures, 70 percent of women would want to see a practice's before and after photos.

Melanoma Rates Up in US as Overall Cancer Incidence Falls

While incidence rates are declining for most types of cancer across the US, they are increasing for melanoma among both men and women, according to The American Cancer Society's annual Cancer Statistics report. As of 2009, the overall death rate for cancer in the US has declined 20 percent from its peak in 1991, which translates to roughly 1.2 million deaths avoided from cancer, 152,900 of these in 2009 alone. Death rates continue to decline for all four major cancer sites: lung, colon and rectum (colorectum), breast and prostate. Yet, melanoma remains one of four types of cancer (the others being liver, thyroid, and pancreas) that is increasing in both men and women, according to the report. The authors noted that while the broader drops are encouraging, further progress can be accelerated by applying existing cancer control knowledge across all segments of the population, with an emphasis on those groups in the lowest socioeconomic bracket and other underserved populations.

Dermatologist Warns Gel Manicure Is A Cancer Risk

The Washington Times (3/7, Chasmar) reports Dr. Chris Adigun, a dermatologist at the New York University School of Medicine, in a recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, warned that "a rising fad of replacing traditional nail polish with quick-hardening gel may result in skin cancer, " due to the UV light needed to cure the gel. Dr. Adigun advised, "Moderation is the key when it comes to gel manicures," adding that he "advocates wearing hand sunscreen for women who get frequent gel manicures."

        The New York Post (3/7, Stretten, Sutherland, Fagen) reports, "Another concern is that no one knows what is the proper dose of these harmful rays because the UV lamps are not regulated." Research published in JAMA Dermatology in 2009 said that "two middle-aged women, who did not have a history of skin cancer, developed tumors on their hands following exposure to UV nail light." In contrast, the "LED lamps are used in drying regular nail polish and don't pose a health risk because they don't emit ultraviolet radiation." An additional issue with the gel is that its durability means it can conceal nail brittleness, thinning, or cracking.