I wear a lot of sunscreen. As a card-carrying member of the redheaded race, I am entitled to wear sunscreen--or else suffer the consequences. The freckles on my shoulders are unusually blotchy from a tricycle riding incident when I was four. My mother left me out for fifteen minutes pedaling on the patio, only to find out that my shoulders had blistered.
In the 80s, sunscreen only went up to SPF 15. Most of it had to be reapplied after each swim session. I didn't want to be one of the kids in wet t-shirts at the lake, so sunscreen application became my summer past time. People with darker skin or the ability to tan just don't get it. "But you were only out there ten minutes! Why are you pink?!"
I can't even imagine having a tan. It seems like a luxurious dream.
Anyway, as I age, along with that fair skin goes other skin anomalies. Today I visited the dermatologist to make sure that the unusual spots that were moving in on my freckles were safe inhabitants of my skin.
So then we played the mole game that everyone likes to play with the dermatologist:
"Look at this. Is this normal?"
"How about this one? Is this safe?"
"What's this thing? Do you see how it appears uneven?"
Women's magazines have given me just enough skin cancer information to get me freaked out about most of things on my skin. And the more I'm out in the sun, the more things appear. I noticed my left side is more affected, probably because of driving.
Finally, my dermatologist answered all my questions.
Me: "See this mole on my arm? I don't like it. It turns pink in the sun."
Her: "I don't know why it's turning pink, but it looks like a regular post-30 mole."
Me: "Post-30 mole??"
[pause for a moment of disbelief at the news]
Me: "How about these little flat brown spots on my hands? And on my face?"
Her: "Well, most people refer to those as liverspots."
So, for a trip to the dermatologist, I was told that I have a post-30 mole and some liverspots. Talk about a boost of self-esteem! She should have at least given me a free sample of Retin-A as a consolation prize.
I'm going to start boosting my SPF level, and I may have my post-30 mole removed as a birthday present next year to help turn back time.
In the 80s, sunscreen only went up to SPF 15. Most of it had to be reapplied after each swim session. I didn't want to be one of the kids in wet t-shirts at the lake, so sunscreen application became my summer past time. People with darker skin or the ability to tan just don't get it. "But you were only out there ten minutes! Why are you pink?!"
I can't even imagine having a tan. It seems like a luxurious dream.
Anyway, as I age, along with that fair skin goes other skin anomalies. Today I visited the dermatologist to make sure that the unusual spots that were moving in on my freckles were safe inhabitants of my skin.
So then we played the mole game that everyone likes to play with the dermatologist:
"Look at this. Is this normal?"
"How about this one? Is this safe?"
"What's this thing? Do you see how it appears uneven?"
Women's magazines have given me just enough skin cancer information to get me freaked out about most of things on my skin. And the more I'm out in the sun, the more things appear. I noticed my left side is more affected, probably because of driving.
Finally, my dermatologist answered all my questions.
Me: "See this mole on my arm? I don't like it. It turns pink in the sun."
Her: "I don't know why it's turning pink, but it looks like a regular post-30 mole."
Me: "Post-30 mole??"
[pause for a moment of disbelief at the news]
Me: "How about these little flat brown spots on my hands? And on my face?"
Her: "Well, most people refer to those as liverspots."
So, for a trip to the dermatologist, I was told that I have a post-30 mole and some liverspots. Talk about a boost of self-esteem! She should have at least given me a free sample of Retin-A as a consolation prize.
I'm going to start boosting my SPF level, and I may have my post-30 mole removed as a birthday present next year to help turn back time.
1 comments:
Erin said...
I feel your pain! I am not a redhead, but I am the offspring of one and have the skin to prove it. :-)
And you're right - the tan people just don't get it.