There are a lot of things to be grateful for this month, but have you thought about your skin? You should considering that November is National Healthy Skin Month.  The skin is the largest organ in the body and protects our body as a first line of defense from millions of harmful environmental elements everyday. Healthy skin is imperative to your overall health. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you are taking care of your skin properly.

Summer and Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. There are more than 3.5 million cases in 2 million people diagnosed. That’s more new cases of skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers in a given year. About 90% of these non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) from the sun.

How many sunburns did you receive this past summer? Even one is too many. Every sunburn increases your risk for developing skin cancer. There are a variety of sunscreens available in different levels of SPF and different forms of applications. Ladies, most makeup companies are even putting SPF in their foundation. There are plenty of options available to take preventative precautions in protecting your skin.

Winter and Dehydrated Skin

Dry, cracked skin is usually the first signal of the harsh winter months to come. There are many factors that can cause this, but this is usually a direct result of the lack of humidity. It’s important to make sure that your body gets the moisture your skin needs.

There are plenty of ways to do this.  You can take an environmental approach and add moisture back into the air using a humidifier. Alternatively there are more common topical applications including moisturizers, emollients, humectants, occlusives, and exfoliators. Hand and body lotions are the most commonly used moisturizers in battling dry skin.

Massage Therapy and Healthy Skin

So you might be wondering: how does massage therapy help in maintaining healthy skin? Well skin is the first point of contact for a massage therapist. We see and feel it with every client. We make contact with those target muscles by using the skin. As a result, we make sure that we keep an eye out for any new skin conditions or suspicious lesions that you can address with your primary care physician. We also aim to improve circulation throughout the skin. It is our responsibility to be concerned with your overall health, not just your muscles or what feels good. We are more than your therapist; we are your partner.

Massage Therapy’s Role in Healthier Skin was last modified: December 26th, 2013 by admin