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