Mature Life Features

. . . Mary is taking her family

on a Disneyland visit this week

and won’t be back until St. Patrick’s Day

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You Can’t Hide From the Sun

A neighbor who passed by with a bandaged nose reminded me of a life-long friend who died recently.

The outsized bandage was a result of what was simple visit to their dermatologist too have a mole removed. As it turned out, the biopsy indicated there was cancer and it went deeper than everyone anticipated. As a result, the neighbor will require some facial reconstruction after the area heals.

That reminded me of a friend who underwent a series of sometimes painful removal of cancerous lesions, some of which required digging some serious holes in their arms, back, neck and cheeks.

This damage to both those people was caused by exposure to the sun.

Summer’s approach reminds members of mankind to acquire an attractive tan. As long as they don’t get sunburn, they feel all is well. What they’re doing is sauteing their skin.

Exposure to the sun’s ultra violet rays can do hidden damage that may take years to emerge. Medical experts expect more than 4 million cases of skins cancer to be diagnosed each year. One out of five adults will develop some form of skin cancer by the time they reach 70 years of age. As many as half of these cases can progress to melanoma, the most serious stage of skin cancer.

You can protect yourself by being sun smart.

You wouldn’t go out in the rain without an umbrella or raincoat to keep you from getting wet, so why do you head outdoors without any protection from the constant outpouring of ultra violet rays. A dermatologist told me long ago that she applies sun screen to her skin, just like lotion, after she takes her shower. She pointed out that those harmful rays pass through the windows of her house, her car, her office and the shops she visits.

A friend told me his dermatologist strongly recommended surgery, “To sew a cap on my head.”

Those skin-damaging rays also pour through the clouds when you think the sun don’t shine. They even sneak through clothing that isn’t sun-protection-factor (SPF) rated.

Sitting in the shade may not be all that safe either. Water, sand, pavement and any other smooth surface reflects those damaging UV rays.