At one time, a suntan was the mark of an outdoor laborer.  The rich stayed indoors, and treasured their pale skin. 

Even more status could be achieved by white make-up, as worn by Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers.  The wealthy used parasols to avoid the sun, and even went to the extremes of using make-up with poisons like lead and arsenic on the skin to prevent darkening its color.  It worked, but it killed a lot of pale faces. 

In 1903 the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Neils Finsen, for his "Finsen Light Therapy", otherwise known as "suntanning".  Vitamin D deficiency was found to be the cause of rickets among other conditions, and exposure to the sun allowed patients to produce adequate quantities of this vitamin inside their bodies.  Two decades later, by chance, French trend-setter Coco Chanel had an accidental sunburn when visiting the Riviera.  Her fans liked the look (the subsequent tan, not the initial burn!), and the fad began to gain popularity.  Parisians also loved Josephine Baker, the american singer, and wanted to darken their skin to look more like her.  So these two women besically changed the image of a tan into something desireable, healthy, and luxurious.

By the mid twentieth century, the modern bikini entered our culture with Michelle Bernardini showing off her new suit in the summer of 1946.  Hollywood caught on, and so did the race to darken our race.  Initially, doctors knew little of the dangers of ultraviolet rays, and the public used no protective creams.  In fact, often people slathered on clear mineral oil, sometimes colored with iodine for extra fast burning qualities.  Northern climates often produced serious sun worshipers as well.  During winter, vacationers would strive to bake extra time in the sun so they could return home sporting a great tan in the middle of winter.  If that didn't last long enough (and it rarely lasted more than a couple of weeks) then there was the trusty sun-lamp to make it seem like you were weekending all winter in a sunny island somewhere.  However, the blush of luxury was soon to fade, just as each tan did.  Soon doctors started noting an assortment of skin cancers, extra pigmented moles, and signs of premature aging, especially on fair-skinned people.  In Australia, one of the sunniest places on earth, there were no such skin diseases among the Aborigines who lived there for centuries, but the new imigrants from the UK had pale skins more suited to constant rain than to the extreme sunshine.  Coupled with Australians' love affair with the beach, sunbathing, and outdoor sports, soon the continent was know as the skin cancer capital of the world. 

Today, most adults know better than to bake in the direct sun. 

However, most sun damage is done in our childhood and teen years, where most cancers start their genesis, and most of the destruction of the skin begins.  So when an adult seeks to stop wrinkles from lining the face, it is too late to do so by avoiding the sun. 

Prevention:  Stay out of the sun as best you can.  Wear SPF creams and reapply them after bathing; wear a big hat and sunproof clothing; don't lie in the midday sun, especially from 10am to 4pm.  Avoid tanning salons, sun lamps, and any other wrinkle enhancing cancer-incubators.

Detection:  See your doctor or dermatologist regularly if you have had any sun exposure, especially if you are fair-skinned.  Check also in your scalp, because moles here are hard to notice or monitor on your own.  If needed, your doctor can do a biopsy, or prescribe specific treatments for moles, sun spots, age spots etc.  For the skin aging itself, many patients turn to chemical or laser peels, or, ultimately, face lift surgery to remove slack skin and tighten what's left to cover the face.  

But an even better option is to  consider the health of the muscle underneath the skin.   The face has 22 muscles that need to be toned or they will sag.  True of any other muscles in the body as well.  The problem is the face has no station for exercise in the gym, and the facial contortions that are often recommended usually make the surface wrinkles worse.  For years celebrities have known of the power of muscle-toning facials, but these are expensive, and need to be repeated at the spa every week.  But now the FaceMaster Platinum has brought the same power home from the spa, so all can keep their faces toned.  Finally a luxury spa treatment to fit your budget, and to fit your time schedule.  A few minutes a day in your own home is all it takes. 

For more information, visit www.facemaster.com. 

For information on finding a dermatologist near you visit the American Academy of Dermatology at www.aad.org. 

For more on Dr. Hanson, visit www.peterhansonmd.com.