Dangers of Skin Cancer

You ARE the only one!

Maureen Reagan died from skin cancer that spread to her brain. See: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/08/08/maureen.reagan.obit/

Put on the dang sunscreen already!

im with you on this one SCoates..

your not alone..

you don't have to go as far as putting it on every single day (that will help prevent wrinkles), but you should definately apply it when you'll be out for a long time.

I don't have scientific backing for this, but aren't you at greater risk if you wear a ton of sunscreen and forget it one day and burn than you would be if you got a slow, non-burning tan over time?

Sunscreen doesn't have to be nasty, have you tried bullfrog (spray on?) I like spray for kids, because you can chase them with it . Also, bullfrog doesn't smell once it dries so it's good for males.

I read an article recently (I'll go look for a link) about how rickets are making a comeback, mostly because small kids aren't getting enough sunshine.

Here's a link. The article argues both sides of the sun-as-source-of-Vitamin-D issue.

Given what I've seen happen to people whose cancer has spread beyond the initial skin cancer, I'm not going to take any chances. I enjoy sunlight, but the cancer can't be guaranteed to stop at the skin. It's not as easy as just 'cut the tumor' off. Some skin cancers are very aggressive and invasive.

It's frightening.

Kids around here aren't allowed to go out at recess without sunscreen and lipgloss.

i believe in acclimatization..
i spent 6 months in greece a couple of years back
and all i did was over time spend more and more hours in the sun...
i am a high risk person as well because i am covered in hundreds of moles (those brown skin spots not the animals )
i got slightly burnt a couple of times but all i did was spend 3 days covered up and out of the sun until the red turned to brown
i got to greece in may and by august i could spend all day out in the intense sun without burning at all, and i was the brownest i've ever been...seems to have left me permanently darker...

anyway i go to a special 'mole doctor' to have my skin checked every 6-12 months and she said suncream was advisable but the next best thing was acclimatizing...

now this was in the mediterranean but however i hear in australia and southern america, ie. the far south of chile/argentina, because of the ozone hole/thinness, the sun will nuke you and kill you unless you wear protection...

um i am a great believer in balance, so a bit of both always helps, but i also think very fair skinned white people are at risk, unless they go through a long period of acclimatization, so i reckon cream is useful for them..

i started off really white when i was young but i've spent so many years in the sun recently that now i have a permanent tan..

i had a cousin and one of his moles started bleeding...
he went to the docs, they diagnosed cancer, it had already spread to his lymph system.. he was dead within 3 weeks...now thats quick/aggressive

You live in Florida Coates?...you just signed your death warrant.

No, I don't live in Florida.

My mistake.

Yes - us fair and Irish-skinned beauties in Oz are really in strife.

I wear sunblock every day - but just the cumulative exposure to the sun has given me a lot of little skin cancers. MInd you - I don't suffer from rickets either.

My mother, who is Aussie has been battling skin cancer for years. Apparently the sunburns she suffered on Bondi Beach have come back to haunt her.