Normally I like to keep my blog lighthearted but with summer in full swing, I have been thinking a lot about something that’s very close to my heart: the importance of protective skin care. You see, six years ago, my grandmother died of skin cancer.
She was one of eight children and grew up on what was then the edge of Flagstaff, right by the Riordan Mansion where Oregano’s is now. The house she lived in is still standing but has since been moved downtown, close to Thorpe Park. She graduated from Flagstaff High School in 1955 and went on to attend Northern Arizona University, where she met my grandfather. They met through a friend of my grandma’s, a girl he was dating at the time, right before he left to serve a 2 year mission with his church. Shortly after meeting him she declared, ‘I’m going to marry Jim when he gets back from his mission.’ He didn’t know she said this at the time. My grandma was one determined lady and she was right. They were married in 1958, had five children together and many, many grandchildren. They owned several businesses over the years, from a construction company to a health food store and have always been well-known throughout town.
My grandma's engagement announcement. The date on it is Thursday, May 1st 1958.
The bottom half of the engagement announcement. I am so glad one of her sisters saved so many of these! (I love the shoes in that ad!)
The things I remember most about her now are probably silly and insignificant but they still mean a lot. I remember playing in her living room with my many cousins and her getting angry with us for knocking over her potted plants – especially the goldfish plants, she liked to give me hints on where to hide during hide and seek since, looking back, I was pretty bad at it. She loved 50s gospel music and Elvis yet she played what we all called ‘elevator music’ in the car, even on long road trips. I remember she always grew purple roses in her yard, she was a lady that somehow managed to make veggies taste even worse to me, she showed up at all of the ballets I was in, she always smelled great, gave amazing hugs, let my cousins and I wear her vintage nightgowns when we wanted to play dress up, she always carried ‘Certs’ with her and ate them like they were going out of style and she always, always told me to put on my sunscreen, to wear my hat and stay in the shade.
Left to right: My mom, me (haha, that hair!!), my great grandma and my grandma. ❤
I will leave out the gritty details out of respect for her, my grandpa and the rest of my family. Not to mention, I prefer to remember her how she was when I was tiny instead of the 79 lbs version of her right before she passed. I wish things had been different and that she were here today to see my daughter.
Since skin cancer has affected so many people in my family, I like to help raise awareness about how serious it can be as well as how to reduce your chances of developing it. It’s not just important for those of us with incredibly fair skin, it’s something all of you should be aware of. Below are just a few facts and some basic information on the different types of skin cancer.
It only takes one bad sunburn – one that blisters – to increase your chance of someday developing Melanoma by 75%. Melanoma is the fastest spreading form of skin cancer. It makes up only 5% of skin cancer cases but causes 75% of skin cancer related deaths in the US. The other two forms of skin cancer are Squamous Cell Carcinoma, the 2nd fastest spreading form, and Basal Cell Carcinoma, the slowest developing form of skin cancer. My grandma had Basal Cell and ended up developing Squamous Cell on top of that and that’s what eventually killed her.
“I don’t get burned, I tan so I’m safe, right?” Wrong. Tanning, whether intentional or not, presents the same amount of risk as a normal non-serious burn (one that doesn’t blister) does. Tanning beds are even worse than natural tans, every time you lay in a tanning bed you are increasing your chance of developing Melanoma by again, 75%. Tanning beds now have Surgeon General’s warnings on them, you know what else has those? Cigarettes. Ew.
Another important point to my fellow Flagstaffians or anyone that lives at a high elevation, UV rays are much more intense the higher up you get since the atmosphere is thinner and that puts you at even more risk for developing skin cancer. I know I can burn in as little as 10 minutes on days the sun is intense. You can check the UV forecast online and some cities include it in the weather forecast. Some days when it’s “extreme”, I just stay in.
Like any cancer, if it is in your family, you are at higher risk for developing it. One of my uncles found melanoma when he was just 31, one of my grandma’s brothers had to have the majority of his eyelids removed due to cancer. But don’t worry, they reconstructed his eyelids out of skin from behind his ears, if you look close enough you can see that he is missing chunks of eyelashes because of it. Many more people in my family have had it over the years as well. I started getting regular skin cancer screenings since I am at such high risk. You don’t need to have insurance to get checked, just Google “free skin cancer screening” and the name of your city. On top of that I keep an eye on my existing moles, and I do regular mirror checks to make sure I don’t have new ones that look “off”. I have been lucky enough to have come out in the clear every time and each time I silently thank my family for teaching me so young how to take care of my skin!
What to look out for:
A mole that is irregularly shaped, oddly colored, more than one color, larger than an eraser head on a pencil, one that appears suddenly, or any mole that changes rapidly. Sores that don’t heal, sometimes they will get “flaky” or appear to scab but stay open, are in definite need of attention. The Skin Cancer Foundation is a great resource, you can find more examples of what skin cancer looks like, treatment options, prevention information and more on their website, http://www.skincancer.org.
Some examples of Melanoma and what to look for.
How to protect your skin:
*Wear your sunscreen!! I use a baby sunscreen from Neutrogena. It sounds dumb but it’s not greasy, doesn’t irritate my skin, doesn’t make my break out, doesn’t stink and is SPF 60. It is the best sunscreen I have ever used, it even works better than a certain SPF 75 kind that I tried once. Since everyone has different skin, finding the right sunscreen for you is important. This site has some of the best information on how to pick out sunscreen I have ever found. It’s a short article and very worth reading.
*Reapply your sunscreen every couple of hours when outside, every 45 minutes-60 minutes when swimming (look for a ‘waterproof’ one if you can, they last quite a bit longer both in and out of the water).
*Stay in the shade if the sun is really intense, but be aware that it just reduces the risks, it doesn’t eliminate them.
*Wear hats and other protective clothing. The darker and heavier the fabric, the more it blocks out.
*Wear good quality sunglasses, look for a pair that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. This will also help protect your eyesight.
*Ladies, a lot of makeup now is SPF 15 or higher, I’ve even seen SPF 45. If you can’t find foundation you like that also offers sun protection, mix in some sunscreen or zinc oxide (one of the main active ingredients in sun screen) with whatever moisturizer you use. Not only will this help protect you from potential health issues, it will help keep your skin looking great! Sun damage speeds up the onset of wrinkles and can worsen them a great deal.
So while you’re out hiking, going to car shows, going on vacation, at the beach, at outdoor music festivals or whatever you have planned this summer, I hope you keep this information in mind and remember your sun screen! And please, please, please stay away from tanning beds!
Tags: Basal Cell Carcenoma, Flagstaff Arizona, Melanoma, Skin Cancer Story, Squamous Cell Carcenoma, Sun Protection
Melissa Misfortune 