Five years ago, Melissa Marks Papock was working in New York City as a fashion editor for a teen magazine. Being a chronicler of style, she’d normally have filed that time away as “the summer of the tube top,” except that in the summer of 2001, she was diagnosed with amelanotic melanoma–an easily overlooked and potentially deadly skin cancer. She was just 26 years old.

HER TURNING POINT

“What was shocking to me was that my melanoma didn’t fit the descriptions I had ever read about,” says Papock, a fair-skinned strawberry blonde who now lives in Ridgefield, Conn. The tiny, flesh-colored dot on her arm turned out to be the problem. It was removed and despite a 5-inch scar, she considers herself lucky: A CAT scan showed no signs that the malignant cells had spread.Cancer-free since her surgery, Papock says her life has been forever altered. “Once you’ve had cancer, it’s never too far from your mind,” she says. Since too much sun is the most preventable cause of melanoma, Papock was inspired to create Cabana Life, a line of sun-protective clothing and accessories for children that launched this year. “The clothing we sell has an UPF [Ultraviolet Protection Factor] of 50 plus,” she says. Look for a full clothing line for adults in the future; right now, a woman’s wide-brim poplin hat with UPF 50+ ($27; cabanalife.com) is available. A portion of Cabana Life’s profits go to the

When Natalie Camille Johnson’s brother Eric died at the age of 21 in May 1999, he had only been through two months of chemotherapy. The combination of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) and a quick-spreading tumor in his chest didn’t leave him much of a chance. But fair-haired, blue-eyed Johnson, 26–a former Miss Utah–made a promise not only to be vigilant about sun protection herself (her brother having had melanoma puts her in the high-risk category) but also to help others avoid her sibling’s fate.

HER TURNING POINT

“I never realized how much of a problem skin cancer was until after my brother’s diagnosis,” says Johnson, who grilled dermatologists and other experts for information and statistics on melanoma, which will kill an estimated 7,910 Americans in 2006.

Here’s the irony: “Most people don’t realize that too much sun exposure is the most preventable cause of melanoma,” Johnson explains. “If you catch suspicious moles and sunspots, which may be precursors to cancer early enough, you can prevent them from becoming cancerous.”

Skin cancer has since become Natalie’s personal crusade: Since her brother’s death, she has gotten involved in dozens of national and local nonprofit cancer organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, which has a melanoma clinic especially for people at high risk. (Natalie visits the Institute annually for a mole check.)

THE ONE CHANGE SHE MADE

In learning more about skin cancer, Johnson realized that something was missing from skin-cancer awareness programs: a universal symbol, similar to breast cancer awareness’ iconic pink ribbon. “I sketched different versions to present to the American Academy of Dermatology,” Johnson says, and one was approved: an orange ribbon with a yellow-orange sunburst. “It represents the cause of skin cancer (overexposure to ultraviolet light) as well as serving as a message of hope.”

natalie’s stay-safe tips

Respect your skin.

“The skin is the body’s largest organ,” Johnson says, adding that many of us don’t care for it the way we should. That includes minimizing its exposure to sunlight and tanning beds, in addition to wearing sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 whenever you’re outside, she says.

Get a healthy glow with self-tanner.

“I like the look of a tan, but it doesn’t have to be the real thing,” she says. “Make sure to rub self-tanner in so it penetrates and doesn’t look streaky, and wash hands often while applying to avoid orange palms and nail beds.”

When was the last time you had that mole on your back checked? Or that tiny pink bump on your arm that doesn’t seem to go away? If never, our advice: Get yourself to a dermatologist now, and every six months to a year for a full-body mole check. Here’s why: Skin cancer has more than doubled during the past three decades, particularly for young women like you. The Atlanta-based American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.1 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year, as many as prostate, breast, lung, colon, uterine, ovarian and pancreatic cancers combined.The most surprising part of this rise: Skin cancer is not solely linked with suspicious moles as many people think; skin cancer can often appear as flesh-colored abnormalities that are less obvious and, at the outset, deceptively normal-looking. While abnormal moles are a sign that you might be at risk for melanoma (the most well-known of the three common skin cancers and also the most fatal), it’s often the lesser-known signs of other skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma that are catching women off guard.

“No one knows your body like you do,” says Leslie Christenson, M.D., a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “Chances are, you do notice [and will notice] when something isn’t right.” Caught early, there’s close to a 100 percent cure rate for skin cancer. The key, say top experts, is early diagnosis, which means you need to show anything suspicious to your doctor.

Knowing your chances of getting skin cancer can help you be even more careful. In fact, researchers have found new clues that can shed light on who needs to be on high alert for skin changes that can signal a developing skin cancer.

It runs in your family. Genetics may predispose you to being more sensitive to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which explains why skin cancer is more common in some families and not others.

Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that if you have darker skin, you’re more protected. Research from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles discovered a rise in melanoma rates among Hispanics. This study disputes prior thinking that darker skin tones are less prone to damage because of their skin’s extra melanin, the naturally sun-protective pigment that gives skin its color.

“All of this suggests that besides time spent in the sun–a key factor for sure–there is something else at play, and research points to a genetic link,” explains Carol A. Rosenberg, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

You’re a true sun lover. It was always thought that women did most of their sun damage before age 18. But now it’s not just your teenage beach time that matters; it’s everyday exposure throughout your life that counts too. And that includes outdoor sports, not just time spent in your bikini.

A study from the University of Cincinnati found that most team athletes don’t use SPF during workouts. “When you think about the time they spend outside, it seems likely that they are at higher risk for skin cancers later in life,” says Brian B. Adams, M.D., MPH, a sports dermatologist who led that study.

You’ve already had skin cancer. A new study co-authored by Northwestern’s Rosenberg suggests that women with a single incidence of nonmelanoma cancer have an elevated risk of melanoma in the future. “We found that melanoma rates more than doubled for those people,” says Rosenberg, a lead researcher for the study.

There’s ovarian cancer in your family. A surprising chromosomal link between this cancer and melanoma seems to exist. “Women who have had nonmelanoma skin cancer and have a family history of ovarian cancer should be more vigilant about monthly skin self-exams and annual exams,” says Rosenberg, “including doctor-supervised mole checks.”

RELATED ARTICLE: MAKING SENSE OF SKIN CANCER

BASAL CELL CARCINOMA

These slow-growing cancers tend to develop on sun-exposed areas like the face, lips, ears, chest and hands. They often appear as a small red, pink or pearly bump, or a sore that won’t heal.

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

These also tend to show up on sun-exposed areas and can look like crusty reddish patches. They’re more aggressive than basal cell and can spread to lymph nodes.

MELANOMA

These are usually brown, black or bluish, but some are flesh-toned or look like cuts that don’t heal. Only about 4 percent of skin cancers are melanoma, but it’s the most deadly.

Johnson & Johnson sponsored researchers to look at how African-American women feel about the shopping experience and found that too many of us are dissatisfied with selections respondents described as “limiting, offensive and even outdated.” The main complaint: When major retail outlets offer skin-care brands specifically targeted to African-Americans, the selection is often (a) too small and (b) too hard to find.The lesson: Black women, who spend more than a billion dollars on beauty aids annually, deserve better. We hope J&J will use the research findings to make the experience a pleasure for all their customers. We’ll be watching.

Smooth Move: Bikini Wax

I tried a bikini wax a few years ago on a whim. I had been given a gift certificate and decided to spring for a “partial Brazilian.” Little did I know how incredibly smooth my skin would feel. Today it’s still my best-kept secret: It’s kind of like pretty underwear–no one else knows about it, well, except for hubby.

caveat After a few bikini-waxing sessions, I did notice some hyperpigmentation–darkened areas on the skin that appeared after the hair was removed. Don’t trip if this happens; Dine disappeared in about 24 hours.

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Thank God for laser hair removal. Now I’m free of in-growns and irritation. I’m lucky enough to be under the care of Washington, D.C., dermatologist Eliot F. Battle, Jr., one of the pioneers in developing lasers that are safe for us (visit culturamed.com for more information). He advises women of color to ask about the Nd:YAG or Long Pulse Diode lasers, the best, he believes, for our skin. For the bikini area, you’ll need a minimum of six treatments. Costs approximately $250 per treatment.

caveat Don’t let just anyone perform this service. Make sure the facility has a successful record with of color.

–Pamela Edwards, Fashion and Beauty Features Editor

Honestly, the hair I care most about removing is located on top of my lip–don’t laugh; I see a lot of y’all walking around with the shadow. I get mine waxed at my nail salon. In thirty seconds, I’m hair-free. After the upper lip, I care most about the legs and underarms. I shave both every day with the Schick Quattro for Women ($9, drugstores nationwide). The shave is so close I often skip a day.

bonus tip If you’re a busy mom like me, you know there’s no room for time-consuming beauty treatments. A friend recommended Nair Moisturizing Bikini Cream ($5, drugstores nationwide) for the bikini area. I love that it only takes 20 minutes and can be applied in the shower. No fuss, no bumps, no itching.–Tasha Turner, Beauty Editor

Smooth Move: Threading

Shaving and waxing torment my skin. Threading–a method of hair removal in which the hair is twisted and pulled out in small rows–has saved my life. I guess there’s a reason Indian women have been removing hair this way for hundreds of years. The hair takes longer to grow back, and there’s rarely any irritation or discoloration afterward. I have my underarms threaded every three weeks and the bikini area once a month.

Bad things happen to good skin, but not always for the reasons you suspect. In addition to battling blackheads, ingrown hairs, fissures and scars, your body’s largest organ has to cope with a host of skin-care fables. To help you achieve a clearer, healthier epidermis, MEN’S FITNESS goes face-to-face with your own skin-deep misperceptions:

MYTH #1 “CHOCOLATE MAKES ME BREAK OUT.”

Nothing you eat causes acne. “Some people think that they absorb the oils from greasy or rich foods and somehow secrete them out of their skin glands,” says Audrey Kunin, M.D., associate clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Kansas Medical School. “Acne is caused when a gland sheds cells that stick together, plug the gland, hack up the oil and blow up the skin. Bacteria on your face have a field day with this.”

When it comes to beauty routines, it’s easy to go overboard: If some scrubbing action makes for more radiant skin, then wouldn’t just a little more bring even greater luminosity? And if a little tweezing on that one eyebrow is perfect, then attacking the second brow should be no problem, right? Wrong. In these days of do-it-yourself beauty, too much gusto can quickly ruin your looks, leaving you with problems that include raw skin, sparse brows and ratty hair. We asked beauty experts to weigh in on ways to recover fast when you’ve gone too far. THE FIX “The skin’s outer layer serves as a protective barrier,” says Seattle-based dermatologist Brandith Irwin, M.D., co-author of Your Best Face: Looking Your Best Without Plastic Surgery (Hay House, 2002). “If you strip off too much, you’ll get red, scaly and irritated.” This can happen from overzealous exfoliation using physical scrubs, home microdermabrasion treatments or peels, as well as from layering high-potency “renewal products” (with ingredients like retinols, alpha-hydroxy acids and vitamin C) one on top of another.
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Once the damage has been done, you must give up the offending products cold turkey. Stash them in the back of the medicine chest–along with your toner, particularly if it contains drying alcohol–and give your skin a one-week rest. For seven days, cleanse and moisturize only with the gentlest of products (Irwin recommends Cetaphil, $7; at drugstores), and apply sunblock each morning to protect raw, exposed skin. (Skin is much more prone to sunburn after any type of exfoliation–even during the fall and winter months–particularly when you’ve gone gung-ho.) Then regularly use products for sensitive skin for at least two weeks. In addition to Cetaphil, try Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Cream Cleanser for Dry and Sensitive Skin ($9; at drugstores), Estee Lauder Verite Moisture Relief Creme ($50; esteelauder.com), a skin-soothing moisturizer that’s fragrance- and alcohol-free, or Clinique Exceptionally Soothing Cream for Upset Skin ($32.50; clinique.com), which helps calm red, itchy skin. A good sunscreen for irritated skin is DDF Organic Sunblock SPF 30 ($24; ddfskincare.com), which contains physical sunscreens like titanium dioxide, rather than chemical sunscreens.

After a few weeks, you can resume the following regimen suggested by Irwin: In the morning, cleanse, moisturize and protect. Save the renewal products (antioxidant creams, antiaging lotions, etc.) for evening, and remember never to layer without medical advice because it may make the exfoliating effect too potent. Choose only two products to start with based on your primary concerns (a good dermatologist or aesthetician can help you decide), and try rotating them every other night. Exfoliate once a week; try Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub ($6; at drugstores). “If you’re still getting irritated, you’re using the wrong products,” Irwin explains.

THE CRISIS You’ve taken your acrylic tips off–and now your real nails are a mess.

THE FIX “Nails growing under acrylics are usually brittle, weak and splitting,” says Julie Serquinia, owner of Paint Shop Beverly Hills nail salon, which offers a six-week “holistic nail rehab” program for this purpose. (See paintshop beverlyhills.com.) To follow the regimen at home, start by soaking your nails in water with a drop each of tea tree oil (an antibacterial agent), tangerine oil (believed to stimulate nail growth) and lavender oil (for its soothing properties) for five to 10 minutes. Then apply a cuticle cream like Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Nail & Cuticle Therapy ($10; crabtree-evelyn.com), and gently push back your cuticles (never cut them) with a soft-tipped manicure stick. “A healthy cuticle will bring back a healthy nail,” Serquinia says. A superhydrating hand and nail cream–used at night under moisturizing gloves–will give digits a much-needed moisture boost. Best hand- and nail-care bets: Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, $27; gloss.com, Dior Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream for Nails, $21; sephora.com, and Bath & Body Works Beauty Queen Wave Moisturizing Gel Gloves, $38; bathandbodywork

The sun has long been worshipped as a mood enhancer and an energy uplifter, but when it comes to your skin, there’s definitely a love-hate relationship. On one hand, skin needs the sun’s rays to receive and synthesize vitamin D. Moderate sun exposure has even been known to lower blood pressure. But as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Stratospheric Protection Division makes clear, the sun’s rays are the major factor for the one in five Americans who develop skin cancer. Excessive ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure can cause premature aging of the skin, cataracts, skin cancers and immune system suppression. The skin is not alone in its vulnerability to the sun: The American Academy of Ophthalmology says excessive exposure to UV radiation can also painfully burn the cornea of the eye (see “Natural Eye Care,” Your Health, this issue). The EPA attributes 80 percent of all sun damage to UVB rays, which are most often associated with sunburns. But UVA rays, though less damaging in the short term, are not to be ignored. They penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, reaching the dermis directly and wreaking havoc by drying out sweat glands, altering your collagen and elastin, giving you permanent wrinkles and causing serious damage to the DNA of dermal cells.
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Fortunately for your skin, there are many courses of action you can take to minimize or avoid sun damage. Perhaps the most obvious solution is to stay inside, away from the sun. But calls for solar abstinence seldom work; most of us like to be outdoors, especially during warm weather. So the next best thing is to minimize your sun exposure to the hours before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m., when UV rays are at their lowest levels. And remember that the sun does not discriminate between a sunbather and someone taking the dog for a walk; incidental sun exposure, such as gardening, shopping or driving with your arm out the window, adds up to long-term sun damage. The EPA says that even on overcast days, 30 to 60 percent of the sun’s rays can penetrate to the Earth’s surface. So be sure to wear a hat, sunglasses and other protective clothing. And while you’re doing those things, also put on a broad-spectrum sunscreen, with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15, to absorb both UVA and UVB rays.

The Natural Choice

Using a natural sunscreen can help protect not only your skin, but also our waterways. Synthetic ingredients such as caffeine, animal feed additives, pharmaceuticals, and yes, sunscreen lotions, are accumulating in oceans, lakes and streams. These emerging contaminants have been found at low levels, but the U.S. Geological Survey, the EPA and other researchers are concerned about the cumulative effects of these chemicals on aquatic environments, as well as on human health. Switching to a more natural skin care product won’t single-handedly rid water systems of toxic chemicals, but at least you won’t be contributing to the problem. You also won’t have to worry about the effects of excess chemicals on you or your child’s skin.

Before you start plowing bewildered through aisles lined with neoncolored bottles reeking of coconut oil, E has found a number of natural summer skin care products that can make your search easier. Unless you favor the pasty sunblocks containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, your sunscreen probably uses some amount of chemical ingredients and so is not 100 percent natural. But some manufacturers use as many natural ingredients as possible and keep chemicals to a minimum. The sunscreens and sunblocks mentioned here protect against both UVA and UVB rays, and most do not contain the potentially allergy-inducing, synthetic PABA. None of the products were tested on animals or contain animal by-products.

Sun Blockers

Aubrey Organics’ Sun Shade Ultra 15 sunblock ($6.97, 4 oz.) is completely natural and is made with herbals, essential oils and natural vitamins. Aubrey also carries a Green Tea Sunblock for Children with SPF 25 ($7.65, 4 oz.). Bebe Baudelaire’s waterproof, SPF 25 Sunshield ($6.50, 4 oz.) is made mostly of water, aloe vera gel and sunflower oil. Rachel Perry’s Environmental Skin Protector, SPF 18 ($27, 4 oz.), is a light cream made from antioxidants such as noni juice, pine bark extract, grape seed extract, beta glucan (derived from yeast and oats) and natural vegetable oils. Kiss My Face (KMF) has a “solar system” of products including oat-based, chemical-free sunblocks with SPF 18 ($9, 4 oz.) or SPF 30 ($10, 4 oz.), which are naturally waterproof and hypoallergenic. The oat beta glucan in the sunblocks has been found to decrease the chances of sunburn by 80 percent. For those of you who want a tan without putting in the sun time, KMF offers Instant Sunless Tanner ($10, 4 oz.). With SPF 8, it is lightly scented with mango-nut oil, and walnut extract is the main ingredient that gives extra color to your skin. All Terrain’s line of petroleum-free performance sunblocks–TerraSport and AquaSport (both $7.95 to $9.95, 3.5 oz.)–are water resistant and contain zinc oxide, the ingredient that offers full protection against UVA/UVB rays. The sunblocks have no alcohol or added fragrance, so they don’t sting your eyes. JASON’s all natural, water-resistant Sun Block SPF 16 ($8, 4 oz.) offers protection for those who want maximum color while not sacrificing their skin to the sun gods. JASON’s Kid’s Block, SPF 46 ($10, 4 oz.), is extra sensitive for children’s skin. Also, the company’s Sunless Tanning lotion is enriched with SPF 16 ($9, 4 oz.). ShiKai’s Daytime Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($8.40, 3.5 oz.) provides sun protection while using borage and avocado oils to moisturize your skin and face. Azida also carries a moisturizing sunscreen, SPF 15 ($12.50, 8 oz.), that uses hemp oil to soften your skin.

Volk Protective Products introduces a line of skin care products including an antimicrobial gel lotion soap with a mild scent that is 99.9% effective against most common bacteria; and Fast San Instant Sanitizing Gel, designed to fight microbial pathogens. The instant hand sanitizer provides protection against a broad spectrum of pathogens such as infectious Hepatitis, Staphylococcus aureus, Norwalk virus, Escherichia coli, HIV and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It eliminates 99.99% of common disease causing organisms within 30 seconds, and contains skin conditioners.

Even during the coldest weather, Vaseline[R] helps you achieve healthy skin every day. From products such as our petroleum jelly, which has soothed the rough hands of oil riggers, to our vast selection of light, non-greasy moisturizing lotions-Vaseline has been nourishing dry skin for 135 years.

Here’s how the cold weather can dry your skin:

* Cold air is generally less humid and has a drying effect on the skin.

* Indoor heating compounds this drying effect.

* Longer, hotter showers warm you up temporarily, but wash moisture out of the skin.

* Heavy, scratchy clothing can also promote dryness and irritation.

Chances are you’ve been giving your facial muscles a workout–furrowing your brow, squinting your eyes or pursing your lips–why you may start to notice expression lines. Though age has little to do with why we get them, the longer you’ve been making them, the deeper your lines become. We asked New York City-based dermatologist Patricia Wexler, M.D., for skin-smoothing advice.

The basic facts

An expression line occurs from repeated movements made by muscles in your skin; it looks like a small crease on the skin’s outer surface. (It’s similar to what happens when you fold paper in the same spot over and over.) The crease represents a loss of collagen and elastic tissue (the structural support of your skin), why–over time–the lines become deep indentations. What to look for

Take note of the following triggers:

* Sun exposure. Unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can create a breakdown of collagen and elastic tissue, which is why sunscreen is vital.

* Lines all the time. If an expression line remains even when your face is at rest, your collagen and elastic tissue have most likely already been damaged.

Simple solutions

Prevent deep expression lines. Beauty Rx:

* Try vitamin-A-based creams. They can help reduce the appearance of lines. Apply the over-the-counter form, retinol, found in Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Serum ($17; at drugstores), or ask your doctor about the prescription version.
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* Stick-on a temporary immobilizer. Relax expression lines with Frownies ($20 for 144 pads; frownies.com), facial pads that help re-educate your muscles.

* Sample an over-the-counter serum to help temporarily smooth out expression lines. Apply DermaFreeze 365 ($40; at drugstores), Freeze 24/7 Anti-Wrinkle Cream ($115; freeze247.com) or Wexler’s own MMPi Skin Regenerating Serum ($55; patriciawexlermd.com).

RELATED ARTICLE: SKIN CREASE

1. expression line

2. elastic tissue

3. collagen

4. loss of collagen and elastic tissue

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT WORKS

“To minimize expression lines, you must reduce or inhibit the neuromuscular movements that cause them,” says Patricia Wexler, M.D., an associate clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. * The bottom line Injections of Botox Cosmetic, a highly purified form of botulinum toxin, temporarily relax muscles to prevent expressions. * Results can last three to six months; treatments cost $300-$600 per visit to a dermatologist or other trained specialist. Potential side effects: mild pain, swelling and bruising.