What’s up with the immune system and sun exposure… Major news here people! This is for all of us who skip the sunscreen step (we know who we are).  Mary Keefe, skin specialist at Skin Apeel Day Spa shares her concern. “Not only do we need to be worried about skin cancer, but scientific studies have shown that our bodies become suppressed and compromised by overexposure to the environment.
This may come as a surprise. Research shows that immune system suppression is the same risk for dark or light-skinned people. No one escapes. Sun exposure damages and kills our Langerhans cells which are the first line of defense against toxins that invade the skin. These cells cover the outer layer of our bodies and are a normal part of our immune system.”
One of the many studies done were conducted by Dr. Margaret Kripke, chairman of the immunology department at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston. Surprisingly, Dr. Kripke found “that not only localized damage to the skin cells are taking place but systemic changes to the immune system are happening and affecting other parts of the body.” In addition, Kripke found a decrease in white blood cells, or T cells, circulating in the bloodstream. These cells are very important because they do much of the work for our health defenses.

Immune system deficiency doesn’t always show itself in clear ways and can often elude detection.

According to Prevention magazine, there are 7 simple signs yours may need a boost. Do these describe you? Do you have a sweet tooth, don’t drink enough water, need to lose weight, drink well water, have a dry nose, are stressed out or you always have a cold? Take a close look at your health. It’s never too late to start with good habits and prevention.
Sun exposure is a deal-breaker to our well-being….let’s gets smarter and start using sun protection diligently. Urge everyone those you know and love to protect themselves. It’s a double dare, take measures to ward off skin cancer, and protect your precious immune system too.  For more information, contact Skin Apeel Day Spa in Boca Raton.  561-852-8081.