My melanoma scare, the importance of sun protection and the checking of moles for changes.
When I first came to live in Canada, I had come from Scotland where the summers were usually cool and damp. I took advantage of the sun with a vengeance. I would sit out and sunbathe for hours at a time whenever I could and I am afraid I did not use a sunscreen to protect my skin. In fact it was all the rage then to apply oil so that you literally cooked your skin. Having red hair and fair skin, I would therefore often have bad sunburns.
I often spent summers that followed, going through the same pattern until years later during a yearly physical check-up my doctor noticed an unusual mark on my knee so she sent me to see a skin specialist. It turned out the mark was nothing however, another mole was checked and it was found to be a malignant melanoma. I was lucky when they removed the mole they also removed the cancer.
After that scare I stopped sitting in the sun and going out without the protection of a sun screen. I always asked the doctor to inspect the moles at the time of my check-up. Everything has been fine now for about twenty year; that was until this April, when my doctor noticed a mole that had changed. So off I went to the specialist. Of course after the last time I thought the worst. Thankfully the biopsy was clear and after having the rest of my skin checked everything was alright...
I always found it a little confusing to know the correct SPF sunscreen to use. For anyone like me that needs a quick chart, the following is a guide set out by dermatologists.
Wear SPF 15, is for limited exposure and skin that rarely burn
Wear SPF 30, is for skin that burns easily and if moderate time is spent on outdoor activities.
Wear SPF 45, is for sensitive skin that burns easily or when extended periods are spent outdoors.
Wear SPF 60, isfor re-active skin that burns easily, for women that are pregnant and people on acne medication.
I shall continue to take care when out in the sun and ensure my loved ones do the same and try to show by example.
