Team IST searches for erroneous, suspect or negative reporting by the media that adversely impacts the tanning industry. Reports such as these have plagued tanning businesses for decades. Although the media sources will seldom admit a falsehood and print a retraction, IST offers these well-crafted responses to the negative reports that can be shared with your customers and potential customers, alike.
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As reported on Yahoo.com, professional ballroom dancer and “Dancing with the Stars” cast member, Witney Carson, was 22 when she learned that a discoloration on her foot was actually melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
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Well, the story proceeds. Yahoo calls it an “exclusive essay” as Carson discussed how she was treated for melanoma and wants everyone to know about this potentially deadly form of skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) states that melanoma is on the rise, especially among young women, ages 15-29, and is the second most common form of cancer in this age group. It may well be; but with all the media attention to skin cancer, clearly more people are visiting derms for free exams – which could possibly be an “examine more, find more” issue.
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Let’s add a few more facts to support that concept. Melanoma makes up one percent of all skin cancers and affects more men than women. That last statistic becomes important whenever somebody tries to suggest that indoor tanning caused the melanoma – the indoor tanner demographic has always been about 75 percent female. Melanoma can be fatal, with about 9,000 (a majority are older males) deaths per year in the U.S. One fatality is one too many, but to understand the breadth of melanoma, that stat references .00003% of our country’s population.
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So, Carson goes on to say that she has a family history of skin cancer. Her mom and dad both had melanomas removed. She went on to say … “still, I was shocked when my doctor found a small strawberry-colored mole on the top of my left foot and wanted to biopsy it. I was even more surprised when the biopsy results came back positive for melanoma.” Let’s hit the pause button for a moment. Both her mother and father had melanoma and Carson was shocked and surprised? Really!
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Here’s where it gets interesting. Carson felt that in retrospect, she should have never used tanning beds as a teen. Well, newsflash: with a family history of melanoma, she should have avoided tanning beds AND exposure to natural sunlight. But, the essay conveniently passes on including any history of her tanning outdoors.
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Now, let’s note that the AAD lists several key factors related to melanoma, including red or light hair, fair skin, blue eyes, number of nevi (moles on the skin), family history of melanoma, and exposure to UV. But remember that .00003 stat listed previously? Well, if just “exposure to UV” is a cause of melanoma, wouldn’t that number be much higher? Perhaps the factor should be “overexposure to UV.” This Yahoo story also included an editor’s note saying that a new study found that using indoor tanning beds, even just several times, can seriously increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Could they be referring to the over-a-decade-old IARC report from back in 2007? My research could not uncover any “new” research as stated by Yahoo, nor did the search engine list any references. Self.com also did a brief follow-up on this story, but included more on the different types of moles, and the ABCDE of melanoma (asymmetry, border, color, diameter and evolving, which is also included in a module from IST’s Sun is Life® training program). The Self.com story did not include any reference to indoor tanning, but did include the lead quote, “there were pools of blood everywhere,” which was in reference to the stitches on Carson’s foot popping open when they rubbed against her shoe as she danced. The melodrama!
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Well, clearly being on “DWTS” can put you in the public’s view. Carson jumped right on in to capitalize on her notoriety, albeit, quite short in length at this juncture. She stated that she’s “launching my own body glow self-tanner this year in response to fans asking how I maintain a tan for the show without using tanning beds. I never lay out or try to get tan from the sun. I just apply self-tanner and it does the trick.” No stopping there – she says that she and her husband will continue to get annual dermatology check-ups, and she’s also developed an activewear line for women that launches this fall. Well, there you go. One door closes … another one opens!
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Note: Shout-out to an industry veteran who pointed me in the right direction for this month’s Watchdog piece. Thanks, J.R. Homer!
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