It used to be that if you had a cold or the flu, you might be able to treat it yourself at home. Anything else and you headed for your doctor's office.
But technology has advanced to a point where you're now able to diagnose your risk of getting a growing form of cancer in the comfort of your own living room. It's called dermaDNA, a two-step process that allows those prone to skin cancer to assess their risk and take action to repair damaged cells.
For years, dermatologists believed there were certain factors that identified whether you might suffer skin damage from the UV rays of the sun. Having light coloured hair or skin is one of them. And 'burning easily' was another.
But recent research indicates there are hidden genetic factors at play that could affect your likelihood of developing melanoma or looking prematurely aged, even if you don't meet the other criteria.
Cindy Reynolds didn't, but that didn't stop her from taking the test and getting some light cast on a rather scary reality.
"I didn't expect to find that (susceptibility to cancer) just because I have dark skin," she admitted.
Dermatologist Dr. Charles Lynde says it's an all too common mistake that the easy new test may help to eradicate.
"We certainly know that those that are blonds or redheads are traditionally the ones that are at the most risk, but we now know that some of the people that have darker skin may also be at higher risk," he said. "You can do it yourself at home, send it off and it's completely confidential."
The new program involves measuring your current level of skin damage and your genetic predisposition to problems by taking a swab from your nose and another from your cheek and once capped, sending them off to a lab for testing.
Scientists track the gene they believe is responsible for making you liable for significant sun damage and based on those results, outline a course of treatment designed to repair what's gone wrong before it gets worse.
"Skin damage was only spoken of until this point because technology didn't allow DNA to be measured," explains Professor Mark Birch-Machin, of developer
Genesis Genomics in a statement. "Skin cell DNA does not lie, it knows what you've been up to in summers past even though you may have forgotten."
But does it really work? An independent study shows it seems to. It tested the product line and found skin cell DNA damage was reduced seven times over a four week period, with a 28 per cent reduction in damaged DNA in just 24 hours.
For more information on the treatment and the test,
click here.
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