by: Lone Jensen Broussard
Are you old enough to remember when a nice brown tan was oh so sexy? If you are then run, don't walk, to your nearest dermatologist!
As a recovering sun worshiper, I must confess that in my youth I abused and hurt my poor defenseless skin. It was all in the quest for that elusive brown tan that would make me at last glamorous. I saw myself in an itsy, bitsy, tiny, yellow polka dot bikini, lounging by the pool and looking seductively out from my bejeweled sunglasses. Reality was rather different. I was born and grew up in a sun-deprived country Denmark and my skin was very, very pale. But that did not stop me from trying. On a walking holiday to a sunnier Danish island Bornholm, I climbed on top of some cliffs by the ocean, laid down on my towel and promptly feel asleep for several hours. I awoke as a very red well-cooked lobster and the next few days were rather painful as I shed my blistered skin just like a snake. Unfortunately, I didn't learn my lesson the first time and still spent a good portion of my Danish youth seeking a tan.
Add to that a few years in Arizona and it was with fear and trembling I finally saw a dermatologist in my sixties. Luckily it was not as bad as it could have been, and he gleefully took out his freezer gun and kept shooting my brown precancerous spots. But it had not spread or become full on cancer yet. So, I left the office looking rather strange with Band-Aids over my nose and one eyebrow but very relieved. I see him now once a year, religiously. You see I have known several young people, fit people, runners and athletes who paid no attention to their skin and melanoma killed them in their forties. Melanoma accounts for only 1% of all skin cancers but it causes most of the skin cancer deaths. It has to do with the cumulative amount of sun you’ve been exposed to in your entire life. It is estimated that 9,320 people will die from skin cancer this year alone in the U.S. The older you get the greater the risk. Especially for those of us who worshiped the sun for most of our lives. If there was a sunny day in Copenhagen all who possibly could would go to the nearest city park bare as much skin as possible and lie in the sun. Looking back it was a ridiculous practice but we all wanted to look like Sophia Lauren.
So do take care of your poor defenseless skin. Sun worshipers beware, cover up and protect your skin and decide that pale can also be beautiful. And see your dermatologist once a year, it could save your life!
About The Author: Lone Jensen Broussard is extremely Danish, has lived in three countries and has traveled extensively throughout the world. She is a retired Unitarian minister and has published numerous works both online and in print. Lone enjoys reading mystery novels and swimming in ice cold water.
This Lifestyle Health Care Blog is proudly sponsored by SKIN GUARDS. We are dedicated to helping people protect their skin and heal their bodies.