FASHION, HEALTH & BEAUTY
life
Fashion, Health & Beauty
aware of sun damage these
days?
MR: No! Men tend to be rather
blasé, they only tend to use
sunscreen once they’ve had a
problem. And with all the sailors
and golfers on the Island, they
should really be using a high
factor sun cream and covering
up. Men are most likely to get
tumours on their backs which
is a difficult area for them to
check, so they need to ask
someone to check for them.
RW: What does ‘high factor’
mean, and can we trust what
the manufacturers say?
MR: The SPF tells you how much
sun is being kept out. Factor
15 keeps out about 92 per
cent, Factor 30, 96 per cent,
and Factor 50, 97 per cent. Buy
a broad spectrum sunscreen
which protects against UVA and
UVB. The products must comply
with a standard, so you don’t
have to spend a fortune to be
protected as long as you follow
the instructions.
RW: So what is your message
to people this summer?
MR: Like the Australians I say
“Slip, slop, slap!” Slip on a shirt,
Slop on the sunscreen, Slap on a
hat and keep safe in the sun this
summer.
Orchard Cosmetic Skin Centre,
68a Upper St James St, Newport,
PO30 1LQ. Tel: 01983 822220
Photo: Dr Maire Rhatigan
you refer patients elsewhere?
MR: We have a minor surgical
procedures room at the clinic
and are registered with the
Health Care Commission to treat
moles and skin lesions. A big
part of our role is assessing and
monitoring the problem. If I am
concerned about how a mole
looks, I take a biopsy which goes
to the pathology lab at St Mary's
Hospital for examination. Moles
can be removed by excision
biopsy where the entire mole is
taken with an area of normal
skin around it, to ensure we
have removed all of it.
RW: What if melanoma is
found?
MR: Melanomas which are
less than 1.5 mm thick can be
completely cured by surgical
excision. If diagnosed later when
it has become thicker there is
a higher risk of melanoma cells
having already spread via the
lymph channels to other organs
when it is difficult to treat. So it
is important to educate people
how to spot the first signs of
cancer in a mole.
RW: If it’s not cancerous
would you leave it alone?
MR: It depends. Moles can be
bothersome to people even if
they’re not dangerous. They can
catch under clothing, or bleed
when shaving. Moles that do
not have suspicious features of
a cancer but are troublesome
can be removed by a simple peel
excision.
RW: Are both sexes more
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