Summer guide to skin protection
Preventing skin cancer is feasible for sunbathers with a few adjustments
By Lisa Snider 07/10/2008
As a fair-skinned blue-eyed blonde, I’ve had more than my share of sunburns. As a kid, I burned to a crisp, blistered, peeled, got doused with Bactine, and did it all over again. Who knew you were supposed to reapply sunscreen then? I also spent several summers with my nose and cheeks coated with zinc oxide — not a good look for me.
Later, as a teenager with pasty white freckled skin, I longed for the deep dark tans my olive-skinned friends sported. Oh, to have a healthy glow, instead my ghostly translucent hue, so pale my blue veins streaked up and down my body and became a great punch line at my expense.
I tried in vain to get a tan, slathering on the coconut oil and basking in the sun even though I hated it. Inevitably I would turn beet red, blister and peel, and end up with even more freckles. I wished all of my freckles would blend together to give me a nice golden tan. By college, I was getting white freckles between the tan freckles. And my nose had burned and peeled so many times, I was starting to get a line of demarcation in the crease on top of my nose.
As I approached my thirties, my skin said no more. A little too much sun was starting to give me an allergic reaction with red blotches randomly appearing that only went away with a prescription steroid cream. No more. I smeared on the sunscreen, but my skin was too sensitive for it; sensitive because of so much sun damage.
Now I embrace my fair skin and freckles. Oh, who am I kidding; thank god for self-tanners! Who knows what my forties will bring (other than a promise to lie about my age), but in the meantime: It’s hats, beach umbrellas, organic sunscreens and spray tans for me. I don’t linger in the sun too long these days, especially since I found an age spot on my knee (on my knee?).
I’ve been really fortunate, too, and avoided the “c” word (your risk for melanoma — the most serious skin cancer — doubles if you’ve had more than five sunburns). I visit the doc for regular mole patrols, and so far, so good. I am obsessively on the lookout for anything darker than a tan freckle or larger than a pencil-top eraser.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. with over one million new cases every year (men, you have the greatest risk of all). It’s also one of the most curable cancers if detected early. To be honest, I think right now skin cancer is the least of my worries. Aging and damaged skin caused by repeated unprotected sun exposure is what’s known as photo-aging, of which I have several signs. If I continue doing what I am doing, though, it’s possible to reverse some of this damage and prevent skin cancer.
Here are some things you can do now to prevent photo-aging and skin cancer:
• Wear a sunscreen of SPF 15 or better and reapply often (many self-tanners now have SPF). There is a sunscreen for every type of excuse, too.
• Wear a hat, sunglasses and sun protective clothing.
• Seek out the shade whenever possible, or bring it with you (beach umbrellas and pop-up tents are great).
• Avoid the sun if you can during the middle of the day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
• Always consult a physician with your medical questions and concerns, and see a physician annually for a skin exam. For more information, visit www.skincancer.org.
Lisa Snider is a local freelance writer. For more, go to www.LisaSnider.com.
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