Skin Cancer

My sweet Hubby has had yet another mole removed because it was showing signs of bad cells.he had one removed from his head last year that was definitely melanoma, he had 17 stitches in that one, the one the other day was not nearly so bad.The one on his head they did a biopsy there and then and kept coming back to take more skin off, they like to take a wide margin so that they get all the bad cells. Afterwards i told him he would be great to scare the kids at Halloween, all we needed to do was paint his scar black and put little lines across it!!!! But seriously, it makes me SO mad when i hear of people going to tanning salons...............do these people not know what it does to your skin??? you are in affect cooking your skin.The need to get the perfect tan is ridiculous, your skin is dying when you tan,why do you think when you get sunburn that your skin peels???? it's because it is dead people.I embrace my white,pale, milk bottle look, you wont get me anywhere near a tanning bed, and don't get me started on the evils of tanning beds. they are seriously bad for your health.The uv rays on those things are so much stronger than the sun so you do twice as much damage.Mark my words, if you tan on those things more than once a week, i will see you at the dermatologists office in a few years sitting next to my hubby as he goes in for check ups, only you will be having melanomas removed.
Incidentally, my hubby has these moles removed because as a child ( hes 51 now) he was out playing in the sun and got severe sun burns, the knowledge just wasn't around 50 odd years ago that the sun was bad for you, so as kids we all played for hours in the heat of the day and got lobstered, now he's paying for it.He's moley anyway but now when he goes out in the sun we cover him in sunscreen and head gear and anything else we can lay our hands on.Melanoma can be caught if early enough BUT YOU HAVE to do what you can to keep out of the sun and make sure you wear sunscreen and educate your kids early to slather their skin and keep em safe. OK lecture over!!!!!!!!!


A couple of reasons that casue melanoma ( with thanks to medicinenet.com)
Severe, blistering sunburns: People who have had at least one severe, blistering sunburn as a child or teenager are at increased risk of melanoma. Because of this, doctors advise that parents protect children's skin from the sun. Such protection may reduce the risk of melanoma later in life. Sunburns in adulthood are also a risk factor for melanoma.


Ultraviolet (UV) radiation: Experts believe that much of the worldwide increase in melanoma is related to an increase in the amount of time people spend in the sun. This disease is also more common in people who live in areas that get large amounts of UV radiation from the sun. In the United States, for example, melanoma is more common in Texas than in Minnesota, where the sun is not as strong. UV radiation from the sun causes premature aging of the skin and skin damage that can lead to melanoma. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, also can cause skin damage and increase the risk of melanoma. Doctors encourage people to limit their exposure to natural UV radiation and to avoid artificial sources.