1 hour ago, BlakeMolone said:

Wow as a 27 year old who rarely wears sunscreen, spends everyday possible outside, and gets burnt regularly except in the winter this is very eye opening and I never realized it actually effected this many people. Before spring comes along I will now have the best sunscreen,chapstick, glasses, and protective clothes I can find.

Smart move. I wish I had started when I was 27. It's too late to turn back the clock but I do everything possible now to protect my skin. 

Do you know where most people get skin cancer, on the left side of the face. I have a friend who hardly got in the sun yet he got skin cancer from driving a car. He was a traveling salesman who drove a bunch. The sun coming through the window did the damage.

28 minutes ago, tander said:

Do you know where most people get skin cancer, on the right side of the face. I have a friend who hardly got in the sun yet he got skin cancer from driving a car. He was a traveling saleman who drove a bunch. The sun coming through the window did the damage.

Maybe the left side.

59 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Maybe the left side.

 Yep, you,re right, I meant to say left, senior moment. Went back and corrected it.

Just now, tander said:

 Yep, you,re right, I meant to say right, senior moment.

Whoops - did it again.

 

We know what you mean.

2 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Whoops - did it again.

 

We know what you mean.

Dang, it's been that kind of day so far. Thanks!!!

2 hours ago, .ghoti. said:

 I tell everybody who asks, that is where the horns used to be 

I always told my kids I was shot 4 times and stabbed in the back. 
They believed me lol

I saw this last night and was going to post this today because this is valuable information.

 

As a result of having cancer as well as lynch syndrome, I have been getting annual checkups for the past few years - so far so good.

I don't get any sun in the back seat of my limo.

 

But seriously, I have two spots that are being watched by my docs - one on my nose, and one on my back.  So far so good.

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

I don't get any sun in the back seat of my limo.

 

But seriously, I have two spots that are being watched by my docs - one on my nose, and one on my back.  So far so good.

Good luck. Glad you have the docs watching them.

i use wide extra large brimmed straw hat, sunglasses, long sleeves, pants er waders, shoes, gloves, bandana around neck, sunscreen applied every 3 hours to face-neck even with hat on. What i really like about wide hat is i can tilt it to the side as the sun goes down just like a window shade.

 

Never tried a gator in the summer, always wear one outdoors in the super cold winter weather but always have problems with my glasses fogging so i take off the glasses and its usually cloudy out anyway.

I dont think i would like the gator on in the summer with having the glasses issue, it sliding down and always adjusting it also i lose my ability to see downwards as it blocks my vision and lots of persperation as i fish in the heat into the evening.

I took a questionnaire at my doctors office.  It was titled “how long will you live?”  
 

the first third of the questions was about my sun protection practices. Use of sunscreen, hats, etc. the rest of the questions were about, diet, booze, smoking, exercise, risky behaviors. 
 

apparently skin cancer kills a lot of us!  It outweighed the other risks. 
 

I fish exclusively in long sleeve sun shirts and pants.  Floppy hat and a sun gaiter.  I look like I’m ready for the Sahara.  I wear a hat full time since my hair follicles are nothing but a bunch of quitters. 

Forgive my ignorance. I am good about wearing sunscreen, is that sufficient or are layers way better? If layers are better can anyone vouch for something that isn't super hot to wear when it is 30+ (celsisus)?

5 minutes ago, Cdn Angler said:

Forgive my ignorance. I am good about wearing sunscreen, is that sufficient or are layers way better? If layers are better can anyone vouch for something that isn't super hot to wear when it is 30+ (celsisus)?

Any of the top-name fishing shirts - they're lightweight, and SPF (30 or 50 - I forget which). I'm susceptible to heat, so I need something lightweight especially when it gets above 26c. These wick away moisture and help cool you.

 

I have 3 HUK and 1 Columbia - they work great.

21 minutes ago, Cdn Angler said:

I am good about wearing sunscreen, is that sufficient or are layers way better?

There’s certain parts of your body you just can’t cover with protective clothing. Those are the areas that need sunscreen the most.

 

I often wear a hat but it doesn’t do much to cover my ears so I apply sunscreen to the top of my ears. These are the areas you don’t think of that need UV protection.

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

There’s certain parts of your body you just can’t cover with protective clothing. Those are the areas that need sunscreen the most.

 

I often wear a hat but it doesn’t do much to cover my ears so I apply sunscreen to the top of my ears. These are the areas you don’t think of that need UV protection.

That's why I have the booney...covers the ears.

I'm pretty young (23) but a couple years ago I invested in a couple sets of sungear. To be honest, I don't wear them all that much, I do try to use sunscreen often when I don't but I know I could be doing way more to protect myself. 

Monday I had another dozen "pre cancer" frozen off my face and right hand. Every six months I always have some frozen off.  Have had a half dozen cancers cut out of my face, head, and arm.  When I had hair it was blonde.  Have blue eyes.  When I was living on the farm we never took any care of our skin.  We'd try not to get a severe sun burn, but otherwise just lived with it.  Now it's a wide brim hat, long sleeve shirt, buff and sunscreen.  

 

Yep, I used to be pretty lax about sun protection until I got it myself.  It was a basal cell carcinoma which isn't as bad as other skin cancers, but still leaves me with a daily reminder why I should take the extra minutes to protect myself out there.

 

Had a melagnant mole removed when I was just 25... No family history, brown eyes, and don't burn easily... Goes to show you that it can happen to anyone, at any age. I've gotten checked by a dermatologist annually ever since...

Want to thank you guys for the wake up call. Made an appointment with a derm. this afternoon. I'm 66 and know I'm tempting fate. I'm going to be more proactive about prevention this season as well. Don't care if I look dorkey in something with more coverage than a ball cap. 

We lost a longtime family friend to malignant melanoma a couple months ago, and it was one of those things that hit close to home and pretty much immediately sent me to the dermatologist for a checkup (hadn't been in a few years). Fortunately my visit went well with just a few pre-suspicious things frozen off (always wear a hat and hoodie), but since his apparently started in his lips it's given me a new focus on spf chapstick while out on the water.