Jul 17, 2008 10:26 am US/Central
Lip Gloss Poses Serious Health Concerns
MIAMI (CBS) ―
No matter when you were a teenager, there's a good chance lip gloss was popular. Back in the 1960's, Michelle Rosen used globs of it.
In her words, "The gooier it was, the better. It was the in thing and what adolescent doesn't want to be in? We were tan with shiny lips, and we were hanging out at the beach. That was the summer!"
But after years of sun exposure, Rosen developed skin cancer that started on her lips. She was forced to undergo twenty surgeries on her face before the problem was brought under control.
Now, Rosen worries about the role lip gloss played in her illness, especially after a 1996 study found that clear lip gloss increases light transmission. In fact, some dermatologists said that women's lip gloss might act as a magnifying glass in the sun and increase a person's lip skin cancer risk.
There hasn't been a medical study on the issue involving actual patients, but Dr. Betty Bellman said patients should be aware of the possible link. According to Dr. Bellman, lip gloss "is a grease, it is an oil so the sun penetrates directly through the lip gloss and can increase the reflection of light and therefore the UV goes directly onto the lips."
Dr. Debra Price added, "The most common skin cancer we see on the lips is a squamous cell cancer and that is more assertive if it's on the lips, so it's important to have any lesion evaluated." Squamous cell carcinoma usually occurs on sun-exposed skin from a precancerous lesion, chronic sore or scar. Here's what to look for: A single red, yellowish or brown lesion, a thick, scaly, "wart-like," irregular surface and cracking or peeling of the lower lip that is not helped by lip balm.
Still, the American Cancer Society says the connection between the two has not been scientifically proven. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's told ABCNews, "It's OK to have theories about how diseases are caused or influenced, but we have to see evidence. There should be an effort made to do large, population-based studies."
Despite the medical concerns, most women we spoke to said they'd rather not be without their beloved lip gloss. One aficionado told us, "I love lip gloss because it's easy and it gives you a little color, without being over made-up." When asked whether she would refrain from using it, another lip gloss lover said the recent reports don't worry her too much. "I mean, that's scary," she said, "but it wouldn't stop me from using it."
If you feel the same way, keep in mind that doctors say you have some good options. You can use a lip gloss with an SPF of 15 or higher, you can use regular lipstick (which appears to be more protective than lip gloss) or you can use titanium dioxide on the lips.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
