See those little blips on the picture to the right -- the ones between the thumb and index finger? Those are RFID (radio frequency identification) chips, some of which are being used as implants into humans for several kinds of tracking purposes.

If you have one, though, watch out -- those chips may cause skin cancer according to some reports this week that cited medical studies stating as much.

RFID was to become the savior of having full medical records available in many patients by a simple read of the chip using a wireless radio scanner, as those tiny chips contain a vast amount of data for their size. But then, a growing amount of tumors were found in mice which had been implanted with RFID chips. Would you trust one, regardless of the personal security implications?

According to a study in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, patients seeking to have a potentially cancerous mole evaluated by a dermatologist have to wait longer than those seeking Botox treatments for wrinkles.

The researchers report that dermatologists in 12 cities offered a typical waiting time of eight days for a patient seeking Botox for wrinkles, compared with a typical wait of 26 days for a patient requesting an evaluation of a changing mole.

The lead author, Dr. Jack. S. Resneck, Jr., says, "We need to look further and figure out what is leading to shorter wait times for cosmetic patients." This study did not examine the causes.

One explanation, according to The New York Times article covering the study, could be that the demand for medical dermatologists outstrips the supply. Other dermatologists quoted in the article said that financial incentives plus obstacles in receiving payment from insurance companies might have a role in varying wait times.

The FDA proposed a new regulation on Thursday governing retail sunscreens, including adding a new label warning consumers about the risk of skin cancer linked to sun exposure.

The FDA proposed testing and rating a product's level of ultraviolet A protection. UVA is responsible for tanning and UVB for burning. The FDA hopes to clarify that both UVA and UVA are dangerous. Currently, the sun protection factor or SPF rating, only indicates the level of UVB protection.

The proposed warning would remind consumers that sunscreen use should not be used as a reason to extend time spent in the sun and that UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, premature skin aging and other damage. The new UVA rating system would use a scale of one to four stars, with four stars representing the highest UVA protection available in an over-the-counter sunscreen.

Anything that can help us increase our understanding of sun and skin health is a step in the right direction.

Do different races have different outlooks on the possibility of developing skin cancer? With so many skin pigments among the world's human races, it would make sense for darker-skinned citizens to proclaim that they are more protected from skin cancer than from light-skinned individuals.

At least in Florida, this is the thinking. White Hispanic teens, when surveyed, were more likely to use tanning beds and less likely to consider themselves at risk for skin cancer. White Caucasian teens, though, were more apt to use some kind of protection to help them battle overexposure to sunlight.

The research here seems to indicate that differences in knowledge and behavior between races with white skin (but with different racial backgrounds) have an effect on skin cancer development(s). Prevention measures are a least partially to blame here, as well as early (and often, faulty) gathering of knowledge related to the risks of developing skin cancer.

The other day, I went to the park with some friends. After spending some time in the lake, the boys went to light the barbecue pit and the girls sat on the grass and gossiped. I was angled towards one girl's back, and as I chatted away, I couldn't help but notice a large marking on her back that looked like a combination of all of these warning signs for skin cancer. It's something that no one would notice if she wasn't wearing a bathing suit, and while I'm certainly no doctor or even somewhat of an expert on skin cancer, I felt compelled to tell her to get it checked out, even though it would probably end up being nothing. But then again, we were having fun and I don't know her that well -- I didn't want to become 'that girl' -- the one who ruins parties by telling people they hardly know that they might have cancer. Because that girl is always such a downer.

So I kept my mouth shut and am wondering now, a few days later, if I should have just said something. I suppose it's not too late. What do you think? Would you be offended or upset if someone told you that you have a suspicious mole on your back? Would you rather that person kept his or her mouth shut?

One in five Americans will get skin cancer. Those are scary statistics, but the first step in fighting any condition is knowing about it and how to prevent it. Obviously, one of the main things you need to do when you have skin cancer is protect yourself from the sun, but your diet also plays a key role. Here are some suggestions for avoiding skin cancer through eating:

• Cut back on alcohol -- heavy drinkers are 65% more likely to get skin cancer
• Polyunsaturated fats are considered a good fat, but they can also weaken your immune system so don't assume you can go crazy on the vegetable oil
• Antioxidants are consistently linked to a decreased chance of cancer. To up your antioxidant intake, try to eat lots of the following: berries, oranges, spinach, grapes, kale, broccoli, beats, red peppers, carrots and much more. If you already have a healthy diet full of fruits and veggies, you probably won't need to make any changes.
  

Skin care is not just a woman's domain when it comes to long term skin health. Men need to be aware of the various products and methods that are required to prevent against skin damage and skin cancer. Many spas are now offering skin care regimes targeted specifically at men, but with a bit of research and dedication it is easy to create your own regime at home.

First it is best to find a line of skin care products that are not too harsh on the skin. So many products that are available for men are filled with heavy scents and harsh astringents. Men's skin, especially in the neck are, is every bit as sensitive as a woman's skin. A good shaving gel and a clean sharp blade are the best way to begin skin care. Next follow up with a good sunblock with at least an SPF factor of 15. Men of all ages need to be aware of sun protection. Skin care diagnoses outnumber those of prostate and lung cancer. Moisturizing the male skin is as important as shaving. Many moisturizers also contain sunscreen, making this step an easy combination with sun protection. Exfoliating the skin is also a must for men. Many men shy away from this step, thinking it to be far to feminine for them. However, by sloughing off the dead skin cells to promote new cell growth many precancerous cells are removed from the face. While shaving is a natural exfoliant for the face, the neck area still needs to be addressed.

A skin care regime need not be expensive or time consuming, but a daily commitment to it is every bit as important for a man as it is a woman.

Summer is in full swing and there is no better time to have a reminder about checking yourself for skin cancer signs than now. In addition to ensuring those moles are benign, are there other things you can do to make sure you're safe from skin cancer? Some simple self checks are a great starting point.

Irregularly-shaped skin blemishes that are reddish-brown to brown in color should be checked out, and if those moles have any of the characteristics below, someone qualified like a regular physician, dermatologist or even oncologist may need to take a closer look.

• Bleeding
• Itching
• Rapid growth
• A sore or area that won't heal
• A scaly or crusty growth
• Rough patches that feel like sandpaper

How much do you know about protecting your skin? How often should you apply it? How much should you use to cover your whole body? What kind of rays does sunscreen protect against? UVA? UVB? Both? If these questions have left you scratching your head, check out this quiz from Fitsugar.

Here are some quick sunscreen facts:

• When you don't use enough sunscreen, the sunscreen you did apply is not nearly as effective.
  
• UVA Rays can pass through windows and contribute to aging of the skin. UVB rays cannot pass through windows and can cause skin cancer.
• SPF 15 blocks out 93% of harmful rays. Impressive, huh?

Finding an unusual mole can be scary, especially if you don't know the difference between 'normal' and 'abnormal'. I had one a few years ago on my back, and it turned out to be normal but it freaked me out a bit.

Here's a handy visual guide from Fitsugar on how to tell what's normal and what's not when it comes to moles. In a nutshell, look for:

• Uneven colouring
• Asymmetric shape
• Jagged (as opposed to smooth) border
• Diameter -- it should be no larger than a pencil eraser

If your mole has one of the following characteristics, don't panic. It could be nothing but the point is, you never know. Just see your doctor.

Researchers from Rutgers University have recently reported that the combination of exercise and caffeine in mice increased apoptosis, a cell's self-destruction, in precancerous cells that were damaged by the sun's ultraviolet-B radiation.

According to Dr. Allan H. Conney, there is a protective effect observed from either exercise or caffeine, but combined, this protection is even more than the sum of the two.

The mice who drank caffeine had a 95 percent increase in apoptosis of damaged cells and the mice who exercised showed a 120 percent increase. However, the mice that did both saw a 400 percent increase in cell death of damaged cells.

Conney expects that this will apply to humans and not just mice, but cautions that it must be tested first and people should continue to use sunscreen.

A recent sunscreen ad by Neutrogena Sunscreen features a young woman with the caption, 'My sister accidentally killed herself. She died of Skin Cancer'. The message is clear: Those who die of the disease only have themselves to blame.

But that statement is generating some controversy from Skin Cancer specialists for a number of reasons, according to this article. Firstly, despite everything we hear about covering up, it's not a proven fact that sunscreen prevents melanoma, but it is thought that it protects against less deadly forms of skin cancer. Secondly, tests show that people who've had more sun exposure have a better chance of survival against melanoma than those who stayed out of the sun. And while the ad is meant to evoke fear by claiming that skin cancer is the most common cancer, it doesn't mention that skin cancer only accounts for 2% of cancer deaths and almost all of these are from Melanoma.

Still, I think protecting yourself against the sun is ultimately important, and that message is clear from the ad.

Though I'm smart enough to know that tanning isn't safe, I still crave that golden brown glow. My regular skin tone is blindingly white and I don't like it one bit -- I look better when I've got a bit of brown on my face. I use bronzer but am wary of the streaky orange-tinge from tanning lotions. What to do, what to do?

Our brand-new sister site, DIY Life, has step-by-step instructions for getting a perfect sunless tan. In a nutshell, here are the steps:

1. Exfoliate
2. Moisturize
3. Apply sunscreen if there is at all any chance you will go in the sun today (most people forget!)
4. Apply the tanner
5. Dry -- use a hair-dryer if you're in a hurry
6. Apply shimmer or bronzer to even everything out

And for self-tanner mishaps, rubbing alcohol on cotton will help clean up your skin.

Skin cancer doesn't only affect those who spend large amounts of time underneath the sun or in that tanning bed. It can strike those with black skin, yellow-tinted skin or white skin.

If you're white or black and discover some kind of growth or mole-like spot on your body -- no matter where it is -- it seems prudent to have it checked out to ensure it's benign. why? Because skin cancer knows no boundaries when it comes to skin color.

The preconception that skin pigment directs those who get skin cancer and those who do not is a fallacy, among many others related to cancer. That spot you have on your neck, after all, may not be so timid if you ignore it. Get it checked, yesterday.

Zita Farelly died of skin cancer, at the too-young age of 29 -- only a few years older than me. A mother of two, Zita didn't damage her skin through excess sun exposure. No, she preferred artificial sun, and got that orangey, leathery sun glow by tanning twice a day from the age of 14 to 21. Twice a day! I would say using a sunbed twice a week is too much, let alone 14 times a week.

To her credit, Zita stopped tanning once she learned of the negative effects on her skin. But it was too late -- soon after she quit the tanning, she found a mole on her leg -- melanoma.

As Zita's family struggles to carry on, they've come out with a powerful message: Tanning beds are so dangerous. I hope all the tanners out there begin to listen.