# Another reminder to get your skin checked.



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Just had my annual skin check at my dermatologist. Two new things that need to be biopsied, one happened to be on my face after shaving my beard off. 

I'm a new believer, as I mentioned a year or two ago.

One of the guys at my suppliers just shared something with me. He had a major melanoma discovered last year, the size of a quarter, after it started bleeding and would not stop. That is what you would call "not good." The crazy thing is that he doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of it now, and maybe that's a good thing.


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## sunkist (Apr 27, 2012)

So I started life with ginger hair and freckles my mom made me wear a t shirt at the beach and have cream all over me
Skip forward 60+ years I've had skin cancer on my face twice the first time it took 35 hits of radiation
The second time was a little more involved a year of treatment at Moffitt Cancer Hospital in Tampa
I received immuno therapy along with various scans looking for more cancer
After I became cancer free I had reconstruction surgery the cut skin of my right clavicle and stitched it on the right side of my face
This took place last September the day before my father's funeral that I had to watch a 5 in the morning from bed high on pain meds via a live stream
The cancer closed my right ear got to within a 1/4 inch of my eye the cancer became the size of a clenched fist
I have pictures I would not recommend looking this cancer took off at a rate that was unbelievable it started as a little something or other and became just a mess leaking junk that smelled absolutely disgusting
We had to throw the bed pillows away and the covers 
My face looks good but I am still healing from the surgery
If you have light skin and work outside get checked all the time 
Living in Florida I wore a straw hat in fact I changed out to a dry one at lunch time 
Wear a hat stay out of the sun get a regular check of your skin from a dermatologist have them freeze anything that looks moody
Sun screen


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

My lady dermatologist checks every inch of me every year. Beats the hell out of a prostate exam.


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## Pounder (Nov 28, 2020)

I'm on the yearly program as well. My dermatologist is an attractive woman in her forty's, getting inspected from head to toe with another nurse in the room is no fun at all. Nobody want's see my wrinkled gray ass naked. I feel sorry her for every time. At my prior doc it was even worse. His nurse was a very cute twenty something year old. I stood there naked feeling like Quasimodo.


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

Pounder said:


> I'm on the yearly program as well. My dermatologist is an attractive woman in her forty's, getting inspected from head to toe with another nurse in the room is no fun at all. Nobody want's see my wrinkled gray ass naked. I feel sorry her for every time. At my prior doc it was even worse. His nurse was a very cute twenty something year old. I stood there naked feeling like Quasimodo.


Pounder:
I love getting the undivided attention of women to whom I'm having no relationship. Hair cut, dermatologist, private booth at the strip club, or even the dental hygienist inflicting a little pain. It's all good.


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## Bad Boy Biker (Dec 12, 2009)

I had a lady skin Doctor. The nurse told me on my first visit to undress , leave my underwear on and wear a gown. I asked why I needed a gown and the nurse said it was for my modesty. I said I did not care if the Doctor saw me nude, that is why I was there. The nurse then said it is for the Doctors modesty. I replied that if the Doctor did not want to see nude people she choose the wrong specialty. The Doctor arrived and started my exam and said she would not examine my "private parts". The entire exam too about 2 minutes. 
I have found a new lady Doctor who is not afraid to see nude men and does a much longer exam.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

MarkJames said:


> Just had my annual skin check at my dermatologist. Two new things that need to be biopsied, one happened to be on my face after shaving my beard off.
> 
> I'm a new believer, as I mentioned a year or two ago.
> 
> One of the guys at my suppliers just shared something with me. He had a major melanoma discovered last year, the size of a quarter, after it started bleeding and would not stop. That is what you would call "not good." The crazy thing is that he doesn't seem to grasp the gravity of it now, and maybe that's a good thing.


Do you use sun screen regularly ?


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Leo G said:


> Do you use sun screen regularly ?


As needed.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

I worry about the sunscreen causing problems as well. After all you literally rub it into your pores.
The best thing is a slow natural base.

I can well but am fair skinned. I will get Red in a flash first few times out. I hung under the umbrella Thursday and got red just walking back and forth to the water a couple of times.


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

I've had a spot removed each spring the last two years. I go in every spring now for an inspection.

They said my back looks like someone who frequents tanning beds for years, I never wore sunscreen until I was about 30 and frequently worked without a shirt on, so I did some damage.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

I had two cut outs on my back. Turned out to be ok.
Probably younger days of working shirtless in the roof.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

MarkJames said:


> As needed.


I think most of the skin cancer issues are caused by these products. When they were introduced that's when skin cancer really started ramping up. So they told you to keep on putting more and more on. Each and every time you went into the sun. And then the incidence of cancer went up more and they put out warnings to make sure you slather it on more and more.

I think you should ease into the sun and let your natural melanins do the job.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Tom M said:


> I had two cut outs on my back. Turned out to be ok.
> Probably younger days of working shirtless in the roof.


I avoid being outside as much as possible. Not because of the sun. There's either bugs or it's cold.


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

Leo G said:


> I think most of the skin cancer issues are caused by these products. When they were introduced that's when skin cancer really started ramping up. So they told you to keep on putting more and more on. Each and every time you went into the sun. And then the incidence of cancer went up more and they put out warnings to make sure you slather it on more and more.
> 
> I think you should ease into the sun and let your natural melanins do the job.


Similar to Autism, rates are now higher because it's more well known about than it used to be.

Loads of older folks likely had skin cancer at some point in the past and just never knew better. Now more people are aware of it and go get checked, so naturally they are finding more of it.

Despite your composition, the sun is extremely damaging to skin over the long term, but some people are far more susceptible than others.

The stupid part about skin cancer, is that it's really not that bad to deal with most of the time, but once it spreads it's a death sentence. A local guy died last year because he had melanoma on his back that went untreated/un-noticed for years, it spread into his spine and he was dead within a year. A simple checkup a decade ago and a few stitches and he might still be alive.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

NYCB said:


> Similar to Autism, rates are now higher because it's more well known about than it used to be.
> 
> Loads of older folks likely had skin cancer at some point in the past and just never knew better. Now more people are aware of it and go get checked, so naturally they are finding more of it.
> 
> ...


Skin cancer has been known for a very long time. Chemicals like benzene in sunscreens are carcinogenic even in the dark.


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## Get_the_sledgehammer (6 mo ago)

I like the long sleeve shirts that provide SPF 50 protection. They breath real well and are really comfortable. Recommend trying one!


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

hdavis said:


> Skin cancer has been known for a very long time. Chemicals like benzene in sunscreens are carcinogenic even in the dark.


So use zinc oxide?

I have a tube in my truck that is basically just zinc, it's a nightmare to wash off, but it protects for a long time.

It's also one of those cases where you might have to choose the lesser or two evils. I try to keep covered up, but apply zinc to my neck, ears, face and forearms at work, I've recently started wearing a straw hat too.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

As an aside, doing a biopsy if a cancerous tumor is involved can result in metastasis.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

NYCB said:


> So use zinc oxide?
> 
> I have a tube in my truck that is basically just zinc, it's a nightmare to wash off, but it protects for a long time.
> 
> It's also one of those cases where you might have to choose the lesser or two evils. I try to keep covered up, but apply zinc to my neck, ears, face and forearms at work, I've recently started wearing a straw hat too.


Zinc oxide appears to be the safest.


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Get_the_sledgehammer said:


> I like the long sleeve shirts that provide SPF 50 protection. They breath real well and are really comfortable. Recommend trying one!


High cotton content is good too.


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