Chicken bald back

[The Dogmother]

A friend and colleague (who is from Australia) had a treatment a couple of weeks ago for the pre-cancerous lesions on her face; they seem to have applied something to burn them away. The poor woman is in such pain that she can't sleep, as the 'burns' have blistered. Her whole face is red raw, even her lips, and she is on painkillers and sleeping pills to help with this.

 

She had a week off sick/working from home as she felt so bad, and has just returned, emotional and still looking terrible.

 

This is a wake-up call for us all, and this is hard for me to digest..... I have dark olive skin, and have always been careful in the sun, but it's so easy to be gung-ho when you don't burn readily, and this sort of evidence is pretty sobering. Admittedly, the sun in Oz is vicious, but I shall be very careful now, and urge others to do the same. My sister (oddly) has blonde hair, blue eyes and fair/freckled skin, yet she regularly uses sunbeds and I worry for her.

[Charlottechicken]

 

I hope your friend/colleague makes a full recovery, DM.

 

Coincidentally, I've just read an article in mum's paper about MP Michael Fabricant who has been treated for two types of skin cancer.

[gavclojak]

I think with the fashion for tanned skin, skin cancer will reach epidemic proportions in the not too distant future. I also think there needs tighter control over tanning salon's.

Such a worry isn't it and thanks DM for the timely reminder to cover ourselves in sun block!

[Grandmashazzie]

I too hope your friend makes a full recovery. I remember when my daughter saw a dermatologist for scar treatment following her transplant. He said now you are immuno surpassed you need to wear sun block every day. He turned to me and said you too mum. He said everyone should have sun block on 365 days . My gripe is the protection doesn't last and you need to reapply, so if I put it on first thing the protection is gone by lunchtime.Also kids at school it has worn off.Sun beds are bad D M as you know,can you not convince your sis to switch to fake tan,there are some good ones now.I am useless at links,if you go to Daily Mail online and into health and scroll down there was a pic a few days ago of a poor girl covered with lesions on her face from sun bed use. I think it would put must people off.

[Olly]

A colleague holidayed regularly in Egypt. She used to use a sun bed before she went because in her words 'it primes my skin so I don't burn so easily'. I pointed out that it was actually cooking her skin but she laughed at me. She even used it after having had a mole removed from her back. It baffles me.

 

I'm very fair skinned and have already sustained a lot of sun damage on my hands and arms, I also have a condition which has caused loss of pigment to my skin (sort of like white freckles) and so I regularly use sun block. There is a postscript to this though - last year I was diagnosed with a severe Vitamin D deficiency! Make sure you get a little but of sun, or take a supplement.

[Scary Mary]

May I just add to Dogmother’s timely reminder that it is also really important to monitor your skin and be aware of changes, even if you do not sunbath or use sunbeds.

 

I had a tiny mole on my leg, only 6mm wide, and it had been there ever since I can remember. Then 4 years ago I started to catch it when shaving my legs, I initially put this down to the joys of getting older- namely cack handedness and failing eyesight. Fortunately I decided I had better get it looked at, after biopsy it turned out to be a melanoma and further surgery ensued, brilliantly done by a specialist plastic surgeon (good old NHS!)

 

Not all skin cancers are big mottled bleeding things, they can be small and perfectly normal looking – it is the fact that they have changed that is the really important thing.These days skin cancer is exceptionally well treated and survival rates are excellent - the last 20 years or so has seen a massive changes to the treatment of melanomas, but as with any cancer it is important to get it dealt with as early as possible – so if in doubt get it checked out.

 

Mary

[Cinnamon]

Odd coincidence.

A lady came to my till yesterday with a 3 inch stitched wound on her face, just under her eye - it looked nasty.

We were chatting & she said she had had a little spot on her cheek, just like a pimple, for around a year. She mentioned it to the Doctor in passing, was rushed in & had it removed 2 days later - it was a malignant melanoma.

They don't know if they have got it all, as they didn't want to cause any nerve damage, but she will find out in a few weeks. It really made my blood run cold.

 

I do burn, as I am fairly fair, but I am pretty careful with applying sun screen, especially on my face (Piz Buin facial creams are excellent)

A couple of years ago I burned VERY badly on my face due to out of date sunscreen...now I always chuck it out at the end of the year.

I do worry about the Husband though, as builders tend to be rather squeamish about putting suncream on each others backs

[Cinnamon]

Also another lady came to my till who had a super tan - golden, even & very flattering.

I commented on it & asked where she had been - it was all from a bottle. She used Dove gradual build up lotion. Its on my shopping list too now!