How a Java Addiction Can Save Your Skin

Forget your local tanning spa. New research suggests that for healthy skin, you should head to the nearest coffee shop.

Coffee and exercise together might help prevent skin cancer by killing cells damaged by UVB radiation before those cells turn malignant. In the new study headed by Dr. Allan H. Conney, the director of the Laboratory for Cancer Research at Rutgers University, hairless mice were exposed to UV radiation that damaged their skin. The skin of mice with both caffeinated water and a wheel to run on healed 400% better than the group of mice with no caffeine or exercise.

Tips to avoid sun damage
Doctors stress the only proven way to prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun, so coffee and exercise shouldn't replace other preventive measures. Remember to:

• Reduce exposure to UV radiation, especially when you're young
  
  
• Avoid sunburns
  
  
• Wear long sleeves and a hat outdoors
  
  
• Use sunscreen that's at least SPF 30 and protects against both UVA and UVB radiation
  
  
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming
  
  
• Get an annual skin check from a dermatologist
  
  
• Take extra care if you have freckled skin, red hair, a history of sunburns or a family history of melanoma, because you could be at greater risk

Know how to spot skin cancer
Know the signs of skin cancer so you can detect it early. Luckily, many of them are easy to spot. Melanoma cancer affects pigmented skin, such as moles and freckles. The ABCs of spotting melanoma in a mole are:

• Asymmetric shape
  
  
• Borders that are fuzzy
  
  
• Colors such as black, white, red or yellow
  
  
• Diameters larger than a pencil eraser

Non-melanoma skin cancer affects the rest of your skin and most often shows up as shiny white pearl-like bumps or red scaly patches or changes in your skin that won't heal.

Keep your skin healthy by both preventing sun damage and exercising your way to your local coffee shop. But remember – even a high SPF and a great cup of joe can't ensure you'll stay cancer-free.