Bad Beds

http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/skin-cancer-treatment

“If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun here ya go! This is what skin cancer treatment can look like. Wear sunscreen and get a spray tan. You only get one skin and you should take care of it. Learn from other people’s mistakes. Don’t let tanning prevent you from seeing your children grow up. That’s my biggest fear now that I have a two year old little boy of my own.”

Those are the words of Tawny Willoughby, a 27-year-old woman facing skin cancer treatments after using tanning beds regularly as a teenager.

I actually used tanning beds a few times, back when I was just starting out in the TV news business. I thought it would make me look better on-air. Maybe it did…but I regret doing it, even those half-dozen times or so. I’ve been trying to embrace my paleness a lot more these days. 🙂

Reading Tawny’s story and seeing the Facebook photo she posted after her treatment (warning: it’s not for the faint of heart) made me want to share this post today. I’ve had numerous moles removed from my skin the past 3-4 years. Not exactly enjoyable.

Two of the moles were found to be dysplastic nevi, which aren’t cancerous, but are ones that could have become that way in time. Who knows if the tanning beds contributed to that, but I’m sure they didn’t help.

Basically, I just want to echo Tawny’s advice. Please, don’t take any chances with your skin…and definitely don’t use tanning beds.

Have a great day.

Get Your Moles Checked (National Skin Cancer Awareness Month)

In case you didn’t know, May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month (of course, I suppose we should be aware of it every month but you get the point.)

I went in to see a dermatologist Tuesday for what has become a nearly annual event for me – having moles removed.

They took two off of me this time. I’ll find out the results sometime next week. Hopefully it’s nothing, and even though I am not in any way a fan of having needles and knives around me, an hour of that and a few stitches aren’t that bad if it means getting rid of stuff that might not be good. I had a few ‘bad’ ones taken off a few years ago. Thankfully they weren’t melanoma, but I was told they could have become that if they hadn’t been removed.

So how do you know which moles are ‘good’ and which ones are ‘bad’? Well, here’s a great resource for what to look for and how to look: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/moles

Also, here are some general tips when it comes to skin cancer prevention:
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t go in for appointments as much as I should. Heck, someone as pale as I am should probably be in there once a week 🙂 But I would just urge you today to check yourself for moles and if you notice a mole changing color, shape, or texture, it might be time to go see a doctor. It’s better to have it taken off and have it turn out to be nothing than to wait too long and deal with who knows what.

Thanks for reading this today. Have a great day everyone.

UPDATE: Mole results came back negative! I’m ‘healthy’ woo hoo!

Melanoma Monday

Yes, that’s right. Today is Melanoma Monday and that means it’s time for a reminder to check yourself for moles and schedule an appointment if you notice anything that doesn’t look right.

I had moles that turned out to be dysplastic nevi removed a couple of years ago after going in for a checkup. Since then I’ve been back several times, and each time have had moles removed. Fortunately no more of the bad ones since then. Thank you God for that!

So how do you check yourself and what should you be looking for? Click here for tips on how to perform a self exam, and you can also download a body mole map to document the occasion.

Skin cancer is preventable. The first line of defense starts with you!

Get Checked

This one comes from experience. Get your moles checked – regularly.

What might not look like much to you could be something significant through a doctor’s eyes. Getting it taken care of sooner instead of later will be to your benefit.

Learn more about the importance of early detection by visiting the Melanoma Research Foundation’s website.

Have a good day.

Don’t Fry Day

From the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention’s website:

To help reduce rising rates of skin cancer from overexposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors. Because no single step can fully protect you and your family from overexposure to UV radiation, follow as many of the following tips as possible:

• Avoid sun burning, intentional tanning, and using tanning beds.
• Apply sunscreen generously
• Wear sun-protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.
• Seek shade.
• Use extra caution near water, snow, and sand.
• Get vitamin D safely through food and vitamin D supplements.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Be smart when you’re out in the sun, everyone!