My Journey With Health And Fitness – May Is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

I don’t know why but I always feel guilty when I don’t do my normal fitness class. For example, yesterday was a holiday in Canada so my fitness centre opted to not do the 5:30am class and instead do a 9:15am class and then 1 afternoon class. 9:15am would be 11:15am at the condo and by then I am actively doing other things and don’t really have interest in working out. I decided the best course of action would be a 2 hour 10km walk first thing. But then I felt bad because I hadn’t done bootcamp. I really don’t get this because I still did 2 hours of exercise. As a matter of fact since I got to the condo 6 days a week I do 2 hours of exercise with Sunday giving myself a break and only do 1 hour. So seriously, I am meeting the commitment I made when we came down here.

My maternal Grandmother had a malignant mole removed from her calf in the early 50’s. Back then out of caution they didn’t just take the margins of the cancer they took a big chunk of her calf (they told her should would always walk with a cane but she was too stubborn to do that). She would spend the next 20 years going for checkups at the Cancer Clinic. I myself had a scare a little over 20 years ago when a mole on my calf went funky. A biopsy was done and it turned out to be pre-cancerous. Finally, a few years ago a co-worker was diagnosed with Stage 3 malignant melanoma, eventually this would metastasize and she would die when she was about 50.

I always wear sunscreen because I want to protect myself. So since it is skin cancer awareness month I want to share what the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation recommends.

• Apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going in the sun
• When initially applied it should form a film on the skin
• Reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or heavy perspiration
• Alternate applications of sunscreen with applications of bug spray
• Apply sunscreen after moisturizer and before makeup
• Wear sunscreen daily throughout the year.

I’d like to add a few things to this list.

• Remember to always apply sunscreen to your ears even if wearing a hat
• If you are bald or balding, remember to apply sunscreen to your head
• Remember to apply sunscreen under your clothes for example under the straps of a bathing suit
• Even if you have a tan or are dark skinned sunscreen is still important

Now I have been in Mexico for nearly 4 weeks and I have fair skin yet during that time only a very small section of my skin even turned slightly pink (see the apply under bathing suit strap recommendation). I am extremely careful especially when I am here this time of year. And yet whenever I go into town I see people who have obviously spent too much time in the sun without enough sunscreen. Moreover, they are not even letting their skin heal by staying out of the sun or wearing protective clothing. I just don’t understand this.

Skin cancer used to be an older person’s disease. This is no longer the case according to the CSCF, and skin cancer is now seen in people in their 20’s. So be smart, protect yourself with sunscreen, apply it properly and wear it all year if you are going to be in the sun.

One last comment, as mentioned I have fair skin and I have a number of moles making me in the higher risk category. And so I check my moles regularly and if I find one that seems to have changed or looks different than my other moles I ask my doctor to check it. Please do the same if you have the same skin type.