About 2 years ago I had my moles checked by my dermatologist, and to my surprise one of the moles was sketchy looking and my dermatologist wanted to remove the top layer for testing. I know right, that actually sounds horrible, also an intense way to enter this blog entry but very necessary. Me being the lowest pain tolerating person I know, I immediately panicked and after 20 minutes of worry and fear I had to let her do her thing. My dermatologist put numbing cream on so I could barely feel it, but just knowing that it was happening made me nauseous. Well to my demise that is not where the story ends, I got a call confirming that they needed me to come back to remove the rest of it because that it was pre-cancerous. As if the first procedure wasn’t bad enough which it wasn’t even bad at all, I just worked things up in my head I immediately feared for the pain the second procedure would bring. I scheduled my appointment and sure enough the day had come, using numbing cream just to numb me for the numbing shot she was away at work. I couldn’t feel anything but I felt very out of it and nauseous because of my nervousness. My scar healed split, meaning it didn’t heal in a straight line it healed like a big circle and it’s noticeable. I am not bothered by the scar or the experience, I’m so happy I didn’t prolong getting my moles checked and got it handled asap as these things can worsen rather quickly. This experience not only left a scar but it left a knew mindset of never leaving the house without wearing sunscreen. Even before this incident my daily moisturizer had 15 SPF in it but I amped it to 30 SPF, which if I’m being honest sunscreen wears off in 2 hours so reapplying throughout the day is pivotal. It’s hard to get in the swing of wearing sunscreen and reapplying it, but it will save your skin without a doubt, my aunt even takes it so far as to wear gloves when she’s driving. While this is an extreme measure and not necessary I might add she has the softest hands I’ve ever felt, since they aren’t in the sun as much. Wearing sunscreen doesn’t mean just at the pool, beach or when you're outside, the sun can cause damage just by driving or even a quick walk from your car to work. I highly recommend finding a sunscreen and a moisturizer that contains sunscreen, if you want to go even further there are foundations that offer sunscreen in them as well. Sunscreen is not only for avoiding burns and cancerous moles, but it helps the anti-aging process since the sun can cause sun damage and lines. Trust me the feeling of being tan does not outweigh the cost and mental/emotional burden of worrying about moles or getting them removed. Use a tanning lotion or get a spray tan, I talk about my favorite tanning lotion Jergen’s in a separate post so I recommend using that one. This Trader Joe’s sunscreen does not break the bank and is 30 SPF, it’s cruelty free, has vitamins, does not clog pores, is fragrance free which is huge, paraben free and oil free. I love this sunscreen for all of those fabulous reasons, I have very sensitive skin so fragrance free is a huge added bonus not to mention it contains vitamins which most sunscreens don’t.
If you haven't gotten your moles checked recently, step on it now! My mole never bothered me or showed any signs of irritation or possible cancer, so I would start making it a habit to see the dermatologist once every year to make sure you're in the clear.
I rarely even go in the sun anymore because of the risks to aging, burning and cancer so if I know I’m going to be in the sun I load up on sunscreen before I’m even out there!
Good luck gals and remember your sunscreen!
Her are some crazy facts I found on the American Academy of Dermatology Website to urge you to wear sunscreen:
-“1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime”
-“Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate your skin”
-“Snow sand, and water increase the need for sunscreen because they reflect the suns rays”
-You can also get sunscreen on your lips so use a lip balm with sunscreen, and reapply sunscreen every 2 hours
-“It is also important to remember that high-number SPFs last the same amount of time as low-number SPFs. A high-number SPF does not allow you to spend additional time outdoors without reapplication.”
-“Scientific evidence supports the benefits of using sunscreen to minimize short-term and long-term damage to the skin from the sun’s rays.”
Here is the website to read the entire article
X,
Samantha
