Surfing Waves

I had one melanoma removed from my forehead last year due to a lifetime of reckless exposure to the sun. In my teens, I applied Johnson's Baby Oil to get a tan before anyone cared about protection. Later in life, I was a long distance runner who trained without a cap and often without a shirt. Then there were the endless times when I did yard work, walked the dog, or played with the kids under direct sunlight.

I didn't get the memo until my 50th birthday when my doctor referred me a dermatologist who used liquid nitrogen to burn off a basal carcinoma on my face. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/basal-cell-carcinoma Since then (17 years) I've been rigorous about protection and have taken some heat in the lineup for wearing a "grandpa hat." I've learned to spot suspicious growths and immediately make an appointment with my specialist but I suspect the damage has already been done.

Identify melanoma!


Resource to stay safe.
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surfers-guide-avoiding-skin-cancer/36404?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=topical&utm_campaign=skin-cancer

Yeah it sucks that sunny playtime activities can kill us fair skinned peeps however even dark skinned peeps get melanoma. As a kid I had a darker tan on the top of my head than my hair which was sun bleached crewcut. Unlike kids of todays world I was outside most of the day time that I wasn't in school (no computers, no cell phones). When I started surfing, I worked at getting a tan that wouldn't burn (before the days of sunscreen.) I would go out mostly in the morning or the afternoon avoiding mid day sun. I still do this. But long ago when I was 18 I got second and third degree burns all over my face, neck, chest and arms. It took me 2 years to get that all tanned back to where I no longer burned. Now I am just a pale skinned dude so I use sunscreen and avoid going out during the mid day sun. I have not gone the rout of getting a cap but if I should loose hair then that would be more likely.

I had solar keratosis (bad news) at the age of 30 on one of my ears. I’m much more careful now. Although I don’t wear sunblock all the time, I do wear brimmed hats, even surfing (the Dakine one is good quality and functional). I don’t really care what people think.

Tom