bcc and protection

Hi Tamorin55 and a very warm welcome to the group which i hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

It's natural to worry that you're not doing enough to protect yourself when you go out in the sun and I can totally understand how you might be feeling at the moment.

I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in November 2016 so have had 8 summers since then when I've had to adapt my way of life to stay safe in the sun. I've also had an actinic keratosis and a BCC removed since then.

As you know it's important to protect your skin from the affects of the sun but this doesn't mean that you have to stop going for a walk in the morning. It's not how bright or warm it is but what angle the sun is at that causes the skin damaging UV rays.

When I was diagnosed with melanoma I was given a leaflet with the following advice and thought you might find it helpful:

1. Stay out of the sun during the strongest time of the day (11am to 3pm) between April and October inclusive in the UK and in all months of the year in any other part of the world
2. When going outside wear long sleeved tops and trousers/skirts made from natural fibres like cotton
3. Wear a broad brimmed hat (brim should be at least 3 inches) and sun glasses
4. Sit in the shade and never sunbathe (or sun bake as the Australians call it!)
5. Any part of your body that is not covered, ie. face, neck, back of hands should have a sun protection cream of SPF 50 that is effective against both UVA and UVB rays
6. Re-apply the sunscreen every couple of hours or immediately after swimming
7. Never use sunbeds
8. Don't use sunscreen instead of covering up

I know that you've said that you're allergic to all types of sunscreen so you'll need to take extra care to make sure that your face, neck and the back of your hands are covered. I have some tops from Solbari and they have a loop at the bottom of the sleeve which I can put my thumb through and they then cover the back of my hands.

From what you've said it sounds like you're already doing everything possible to protect your skin and if you're only going out for a walk when the UV index is 1, then you're protecting yourself further.

So cover up, stay in the shade when you can and go out and enjoy your walks!

Anne

Firstly thank you and very sorry to hear what you have been through,your story and how you have dealt with it is indeed inspiring for someone like myself.I too use solbari hats ,hoodies and generally wear gloves and avoid peak uv and even in winter wont be out without a long billed 5 inch cap with a hoodie over the top even after 7pm in the spring and summer i still were my hat and hoodie...the key thing is Anne as you have so rightly said there is only so much you can do and unfortunately the damage is done ,who knows maybe someday a form of reversal will be found but for now you have got to make the most of it ,again thank you..on another note i dont know what you make of the solbari clothing especially the chemically untreated hat which seem to have very thin material in the crown area and i know its the weave of the material that matters but i find myself doubting its upf 50rating a little..I wish which magazine would do a test article on this 

Hi Tamorin55 

I haven't tried any of the Solbari hats so can't comment on how well they protect or not. I do have a selection of their tops and, although they're thin, I have never caught the sun through them. As you said, it's not so much how thick the material is more how close the weave is.

The other thing that gives me confidence is that they are made in Australia where everyone is very sun safety aware.

Anne

Hi Tamorin55

I understand your dilemma... I too am a walker hiker and have had to change my times for walking especially in the summer.

You mentioned that you're allergic to all suncream... I'm wondering if you've ever tried Altruist? It's formulated by a Dermatologist and has had excellent reviews 

Hi thats uncanny my friend actually gave me that today but to be honest I am put off somewhat by the fact it has nano particles which get into the blood stream easily..its a minefield with sunscreens sometimes I think there is too much information 

That is the key having trust in something and thats what i need to build again I found it all a bit overwhelming re Solbari its tested in Austrailia but made in China they are not very upfront about that but we are limited to what we can get Coolibar is good but quite difficult to get here