- Joined
- Apr 8, 2013
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Pre-Pharmacy
Yes, I am a ginger, I have a question about dermatology that perhaps someone on this forum could help me with.
There was a time when I was considering a body building competition, I was told that I should consider tanning. I had never been tan in my life before, only white or burnt, but I found an answer.
I found that using a tanning bed with a higher concentration of UVB light allowed me to tan. Any other method of tanning would burn me. I've also had some acne that continues to be a problem even now at age 22. The UVB light not only allowed me to tan but cleared up my acne more effectively than any prescription medication I've ever tried.
I understand that UVA is more intense than UVB light and therefore is more likely to enter the atmosphere from the sun, since the more intense UVA has a greater ability to penetrate the ozone layer. For this reason sunlight typically has a much higher concentration of UVA light to UVB light that varies depending on the time of day. I also understand that this radiation can penetrate the epidermis and allow for the body to produce vitamin D. I figure that the UVB light is intense enough for my body to produce more vitamin D, but not intense enough to burn me as quickly. However, supplementation by both vitamin D3 and calcium hasn't been an answer for clearing my acne, why is this?
I know melanin is induced by exposure to UVB light, and melanin production, especially eumelanin is most commonly known to be the factor for darker skin pigmentation. Since I have red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, I understand that my body naturally produces more pheomelanin than eumelanin.
What I don't understand is how, if UVB (280-315nm) light has a shorter wavelength than UVA (315-400nm), then why is it that UVB only penetrates to the epidermis, while UVA penetrates through the epidermis to the dermis (Soter, 1990). The reason why this is confusing is because typically shorter wavelengths penetrate deeper, similar to how X-rays (.01-10nm) penetrate through to the bone.
Also, what role does prostaglandin (PE2) have in all this? I've read that my skin type can actually produce up to 5 times more melanin than olive colored skin, but that burnt skin is not a product of lacking melanin, but that the production of melanin is accompanied by the production of an inflammatory chemical that ultimately causes erythema (Prostaglandin-E2 is produced by adult human epidermal melanocytes in response to UVB in a melanogenesis-independent manner, Tobin 2010).
Also note that the research from the above paragraph was difficult for me to understand, so hopefully someone here with more knowledge on dermatology will be able to clear up any confusion on my part.
I'm not saying that I want to tan, because I know it's not healthy for my skin. But why is it that I can tan with UVB light? Why is it that UVB light can clear up my acne, but vitamin D3 supplementation of up to 2000 IU's per day, with 600mg of calcium doesn't? And would it be possible to limit UVA light or enhance UVB light through nutrition or supplementation?
If you've read all this, but don't know what to say please post with a bump! 👍
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20236442
Much thanks.
There was a time when I was considering a body building competition, I was told that I should consider tanning. I had never been tan in my life before, only white or burnt, but I found an answer.
I found that using a tanning bed with a higher concentration of UVB light allowed me to tan. Any other method of tanning would burn me. I've also had some acne that continues to be a problem even now at age 22. The UVB light not only allowed me to tan but cleared up my acne more effectively than any prescription medication I've ever tried.
I understand that UVA is more intense than UVB light and therefore is more likely to enter the atmosphere from the sun, since the more intense UVA has a greater ability to penetrate the ozone layer. For this reason sunlight typically has a much higher concentration of UVA light to UVB light that varies depending on the time of day. I also understand that this radiation can penetrate the epidermis and allow for the body to produce vitamin D. I figure that the UVB light is intense enough for my body to produce more vitamin D, but not intense enough to burn me as quickly. However, supplementation by both vitamin D3 and calcium hasn't been an answer for clearing my acne, why is this?
I know melanin is induced by exposure to UVB light, and melanin production, especially eumelanin is most commonly known to be the factor for darker skin pigmentation. Since I have red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, I understand that my body naturally produces more pheomelanin than eumelanin.
What I don't understand is how, if UVB (280-315nm) light has a shorter wavelength than UVA (315-400nm), then why is it that UVB only penetrates to the epidermis, while UVA penetrates through the epidermis to the dermis (Soter, 1990). The reason why this is confusing is because typically shorter wavelengths penetrate deeper, similar to how X-rays (.01-10nm) penetrate through to the bone.
Also, what role does prostaglandin (PE2) have in all this? I've read that my skin type can actually produce up to 5 times more melanin than olive colored skin, but that burnt skin is not a product of lacking melanin, but that the production of melanin is accompanied by the production of an inflammatory chemical that ultimately causes erythema (Prostaglandin-E2 is produced by adult human epidermal melanocytes in response to UVB in a melanogenesis-independent manner, Tobin 2010).
Also note that the research from the above paragraph was difficult for me to understand, so hopefully someone here with more knowledge on dermatology will be able to clear up any confusion on my part.
I'm not saying that I want to tan, because I know it's not healthy for my skin. But why is it that I can tan with UVB light? Why is it that UVB light can clear up my acne, but vitamin D3 supplementation of up to 2000 IU's per day, with 600mg of calcium doesn't? And would it be possible to limit UVA light or enhance UVB light through nutrition or supplementation?
If you've read all this, but don't know what to say please post with a bump! 👍
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20236442
Much thanks.
