Lip Gloss Might Increase Risk of Cancer

Shiny lips are beautiful. Lip glosses bring out the natural color of your lips, and the shimmery light gives you an irresistibly kissable look.

Lip gloss also, unfortunately, allows ultraviolet radiation to penetrate the delicate skin on your lips, increasing the risk for sun damage and even lip cancer later in life. Indeed, data from a study at the University of California Los Angeles suggest that lip gloss increases the risk of skin cancer in women.

Your lips are already more susceptible to sun damage than the rest of your skin for several reasons: the skin is thinner; there is no hair to offer protection; your lower lip is perpendicular to the sun, which means it gets direct exposure to sunlight; and your lips don't produce sebum, which offers some protection against ultraviolet light.

Wearing shiny lip balms and glosses actually allow more ultraviolet light to penetrate the lips, potentially causing damage. Ultraviolet light damage can lead to pre-skin cancer growths such as actinic chelitis (rough scaly lips that never heal), dark spots called solar lentigos, or blebs of dilated blood vessels which form an unattractive purple bump called a venus lake. Ultraviolet light can also lead to a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma of the lips is more dangerous than on other areas of your skin because it's more likely to be invasive and to metastasize (spread).

Fear not though, glossy-lip girls, there is a simple solution.

Lipsticks and lip balms containing sunscreens can protect your lips, even while wearing lip gloss. Liberally apply a lip balm with SPF of 15 (or preferably SPF of 30 if you are going to be in the sun for more than 30 minutes) before you apply your lip gloss. Reapply every couple of hours since it's so easily licked or wiped off. Then leave the house both looking good and feeling good, knowing that you are protected.