Friday, May 24, 2019

Don’t Fry Day!

Did you know that the Friday before Memorial Day has been designated as National Sunscreen Day (also known as Don’t Fry Day)? The 'holiday' is designed to encourage sun safety awareness. You probably know that the sun's UV rays are harmful and can lead to skin cancers. Sunscreen is one of the easiest ways to protect against them.

Yours truly a poster child for skin cancer risk. My skin is light, I have freckles and lots of moles, and when I was younger I had a couple of doozy sunburns. All of those lead to a higher risk of skin cancer. Ten years ago I was actually treated for a basal cell carcinoma (the most common type of skin cancer).

Since that time I've been extra vigilant about applying sunscreen as part of my morning routine. In the winter I just have to do my face, because everything else is covered up. However, once the temperatures heat up I'm slathering it on every section of bare skin I can find. If I'm going to be outside for a long time I bring the bottle with me and re-apply it later in the day, too.

I've never found a brand of sunscreen that doesn't make my skin feel sticky, but I keep trying. The alternative is not an attractive option.

Five years ago today: Car Spa

11 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this great information and these valuable tips, it’s just what many of us need. I learned so much from your article and especially from your step-by-step directions. Thank you!

    I am not a sun person. I am in it for only a "HOT Minit" then I'm running for shade. I guess I'm a a poster child for skin cancer risk too. I don't have freckles, but I DO have lots of moles...my face is covered with them.

    Wishing you a great weekend!

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    1. I have never been a fan of sitting in the sun.

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  2. My sister-in-law apparently went out in the sun a lot when younger without protecting herself and has now had a LOT of melanomas removed surgically. It's spooky. People are especially vulnerable in Hawaii because of our year round very strong sunlight.

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    1. In the late 70s one of my girlfriends had an even fairer complexion than me, and her doctor told her to buy something called sunscreen. I remember going to multiple drug stores with her before she found any.

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  3. Good post to raise awareness, thanks.

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  4. On the news the other night they were saying most tested sunscreens didn't work at all. I just saw the short snip of the story, the longer version was coming later in the news and then I wandered off and didn't see it. So now I want to find that and watch it, because I'd just bought some sunscreen.

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    1. Scary stuff! I'll have to look into it. I tend to buy whatever's the cheapest, but would spend a little bit more if I had to.

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  5. Skin cancer is not to be taken lightly. Thanks for the heads up.

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  6. I always forget, but I buy face lotion and make-up that has sunscreen in it. My face and neck are safe. Maybe. I sweat so much that everything sort of slides off my body. I open the store at 11 am and close at 7 pm, so I am inside for the really sunny part of the day.

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    1. In my case I put on the sunscreen but pass on the makeup :-)

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