The research dermatologist largely credited for founding pathology procedures used in dermatology \u2014 dermatopathology \u2014 agrees with Smart Tan\u2019s position that sunburn, not sun exposure, is the UV-related risk factor for melanoma and that over-the-top anti-UV messages are harmful.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmart Tan got it! But the Skin Cancer Foundation, like the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Dermatology, does not get it,\u201d Ackerman writes in his book The Sun and the \u2018Epidemic\u2019 of Melanoma: Myth on Myth.<\/p>\n
Ackerman, decorated by the American Academy of Dermatology with the group\u2019s Master Dermatologist designation (its highest honor), is one of several dermatology leaders who take issue with dermatology organizations who attempt to characterize tans as damage. Tans are different fundamentally from sunburns, Ackerman points out. \u201cA sunburn is pathologic, it calling forth redness at the least, ulcerations and scarring at worst, and blisters in between. A suntan is physiologic, the result of normal melanocytes at the dermoedidermal junctions producing more melanin for the epidermis, that dark pigment serving to protect against ultraviolet radiation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his Myth on Myth book, Ackerman quotes Newcastle University Professor of Dermatology Dr. Sam Shuster, summing up tans as part of nature\u2019s design: \u201cThe dogma, now fossilized in print, is that any tan is a sign of skin damage. Tell that to Darwin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ackerman, who has more than 700 published papers and studies to his name in a career that dates back to 1962, founded the International Society of Dermatopathology and is founder and director emeritus of the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology, training pathology students on dermatology related work. He is an advocate of evidence-based medicine and has been highly critical of the dermatology industry\u2019s over-blown, unsupported allegations that any and all sun exposure should be avoided.<\/p>\n
He believes Smart Tan has done a better job advocating the whole truth about melanoma than the Skin Cancer Foundation, the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Cancer Society.<\/p>\n
\u201cParadoxically, business sometimes is more academic than academe,\u201d Ackerman says, citing this portion of Smart Tan\u2019s Position:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about melanoma skin cancer? Melanoma is the only form of skin cancer that is aggressive with any regularity. But you need to understand this clearly: Melanoma skin cancer does not fit the mold of other skin cancers for the following reasons:<\/p>\n
That is important, considering that most of the studies did not account for confounding variables such as outdoor exposure to sunlight, childhood sunburns, type of tanning equipment utilized and duration and quantity of exposures. So the professional indoor tanning industry is doing its part to help individuals of all skin types minimize their risks by teaching them how to avoid sunburn at all costs. We are promoting smart, moderate tanning for those individuals who can promote a tan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of Smart Tan\u2019s position Ackerman writes, \u201cSmart Tan got it! But the Skin Cancer Foundation, like the American Cancer Society and the American Academy of Dermatology, does not get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ackerman slams those groups for taking money from sunscreen manufacturers in exchange for their endorsement of those manufacturers\u2019 products \u2014 a relationship he believes compromises dermatology\u2019s academic integrity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The research dermatologist largely credited for founding pathology procedures used in dermatology \u2014 dermatopathology \u2014 agrees with Smart Tan\u2019s position that sunburn, not sun exposure, is the UV-related risk factor for melanoma and that over-the-top anti-UV messages are harmful. \u201cSmart Tan got it! But the Skin Cancer Foundation, like the American Cancer Society and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n