Seniors, do you always wear sunscreen? (vacations, welfare, taught, Florida)
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Interesting study. By protecting ourselves from the sun, we get less vitamin D and are thus susceptible to all sorts of medical conditions associated with lack of vitamin D.
An aunt had basel cell carcinoma patches removed from her face and hands for years. Also from her lower back which was never, ever bared to the sun. If she ever wore a swimming suit, you can bet it was a one piece.
I use sunscreen to avoid sunburn if I will be out in the middle of the day. Some of my face creams have 15 level sunscreen. If I got hot, it melts into my eyes and stings so I have quite using them.
I garden in the morning and evening. Stay in the shade when I swim. So I get low levels of vitamin D and avoid sunburn.
One can tan - and - with enough sun - even burn through clothing. When I lived in south Florida - and spent more time outside than I do now - even though I never exposed my back to the sun (even when swimming - I always wear a tee shirt in the water) - I had tan lines on my back from my bra/panties. Robyn
Your link is total baloney. Don't believe any of it.
In the very least you should wear sunscreen on your face, neck, and tips of your ears, and you should wear a wide brimmed hat. You can absorb all the natural Vit D you need through your arms and legs.
You do NOT want any skin cancers on your face, especially your forehead, or your ears. The surgeries to remove even tiny basal or squamous cancers can be disfiguring. I know because I have had these surgeries - called Mohs surgery - and it is expensive, and you often have to have skin grafts to replace the thin skin removed from your ears.
You're very right about one's face. My husband and I have each had one Mohs procedure on our faces. Pretty good cosmetic results in both cases. But my scar - which runs between my nose and my upper lip - is pretty visible (although - as I get older - it's looking more like a wrinkle).
FWIW - the reason we tend to get these things as we get older is because of cumulative sun exposure over the decades. IOW - everyone should take precautions when it comes to the sun - regardless of age.
Also - getting a tan as opposed to a burn is no guarantee of anything in terms of getting skin cancer:
Guess the only good news is that Medicare will pay for Mohs surgery if you need it on your face (although - IIRC - not on other parts of your body). Robyn
As I've said, I'm practically religious about wearing sunscreen, usually just plain zinc oxide but it seems to work.
My cousin's husband actually got a melanoma. He found the spot while he was in the shower, had his wife look at it, they called their neighbor who was a doctor, he got them into see a specialist--fast. The spot was removed and things are fine. That doctor said that is the way to treat a melanoma----FAST. Just a warning for people who don't wear sunscreen.
As I've said, I'm practically religious about wearing sunscreen, usually just plain zinc oxide but it seems to work.
My cousin's husband actually got a melanoma. He found the spot while he was in the shower, had his wife look at it, they called their neighbor who was a doctor, he got them into see a specialist--fast. The spot was removed and things are fine. That doctor said that is the way to treat a melanoma----FAST. Just a warning for people who don't wear sunscreen.
And the necessity for fast action on suspected melanomas applies to everyone -- not just those who don't wear sunscreen. My dermatologist told me to call him anytime I see something on my skin that is undergoing rapid changes -- that's a possible sign of melanoma. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas tend to develop very slowly, over a period of months or years.
As I've said, I'm practically religious about wearing sunscreen, usually just plain zinc oxide but it seems to work.
My cousin's husband actually got a melanoma. He found the spot while he was in the shower, had his wife look at it, they called their neighbor who was a doctor, he got them into see a specialist--fast. The spot was removed and things are fine. That doctor said that is the way to treat a melanoma----FAST. Just a warning for people who don't wear sunscreen.
Mohs surgery is when you go to have a cancerous spot removed.
they remove what they think is the entire area, then check it.
you wait until they call you back to see if you need another procedure (you are still in the wating
room).
And either they have removed all the cancer or they proceed with another excision until it s all removed.
I have Type II skin, which means I'm very fair, blue eyed, burn easily and hardly ever tan. I have to use an SP50 and even with that, two hours is my limit because I will start to burn at the tail end of it. I also have allergic skin and rosacea which is aggravated by heat as well as sun. I wear an SP50 hat pretty much all the time except in the dead of winter.
I have a UV-blocking film on the side windows and windshield of my car (it's legal, because it's clear) and when I work in the garden I always wear long pants and an SP50 long sleeved shirt, plus a wide brim SP50 hat. I find the UV blocking clothing a lot easier than having to slather on sunblock all over legs and arms every hour and half! I like Coolibar.com for the clothing and SundayAfternoons.com for hats. The long sleeves also help protect against biting insects! ;-)
I spent years bicycling and motorcycling in Southern California, so you can bet your sweet bippy I wore sunscreen on any exposed skin (which was more when bicycling and less when motorcycling). If I had not done that, serious sunburn would have been the result.
Now days I rarely use it, because sun exposure of more than 30 minutes or so is rare. I am about to embark on a road trip in my car during which I will be driving all day on some days. On those days I will apply sunscreen on the backs of my hands and wrists and forearms.
I am aware of the Vitamin D issues; I started taking a daily Vitamin D supplement a couple of years ago. But actual sunburn is something I am going to avoid one way or another, and staying out of the sun 24/7 is not my way, as I enjoy the outdoors. Therefore, I will continue some sunscreen use.
Fairly similar story, I'm out in the strong California sunshine no more than 20-30 minutes at a time, maximum.
I gradually got darker after moving out here, but never burn. I don't use sunscreen at all but only because my exposure never exceeds 20-30 minutes at a time.
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