Protecting your skin year round important

Photo By Chuck Cannon | Chuck Cannon  

FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

07.20.2018

Story by Chuck Cannon 

Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office

FORT POLK, La. — As a young
man, I didn’t place a lot of emphasis
on protecting my skin from sun exposure.
As someone who has a dark
complexion, I had always tanned
easily, so I figured I was OK.
I only remember getting sunburned
once: I spent a day on the
lake without a shirt while stationed
at Fort Gordon, Georgia for military
police school. It
was a pretty severe
burn, but I
recovered quickly
and never
gave it another
thought.
Throughout
my military career
I was a regular
on the softball
diamond
and golf course,
never bothering to protect my exposed
skin from the sun. Same with
deployments to places such as the
National Training Center — back
then you could get away with rolling
up the sleeves of your fatigue blouse
or just wearing a T-shirt.
I was young and invincible. I was
a Soldier, doggone it. I was tough.
Nothing would happen to me.
Then a few years ago I noticed
there was a spot on my nose that
bled easily when I bumped it. I admit,
I didn’t think about it much — I
figured it would go away.
But my spouse, Susan, was persistent.
“Ask your doctor about it —
now,” she insisted.
Not wanting to get on Susan’s bad
side, I did as she asked. My doctor
took one look and sent me for a consultation
with a
dermatologist.
The diagnosis:
Basal cell carcinoma.
I wound up
having surgery
and the doctor felt certain the cancer
had been found early and completely
removed. I go back for annual
checkups to make sure it hasn’t come
back or spread.
July is National Ultraviolet Safety
Month, and while there is no 100
percent guarantee that you won’t get
skin cancer, there are steps you can
take to help minimize the chances.
The Department of Veterans Affairs
offers these tips:
• Cover up: Wearing a hat (preferably
wide brimmed) or other shadeprotective
clothing can partly shield
your skin from the harmful effects of
ultrviolet ray exposure. Proper clothing
may include long-sleeved shirts,
pants, hats and sunglasses — for eye
protection.
• Stay in the shade: The sun's
glare is most intense at midday. Staying
in the shade between the hours
of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. will further
protect your skin. The sun can still
damage your skin on cloudy days or
in the winter. For this reason, it is important
to stay protected throughout
the year.
• Choose the right sunscreen: This
is extremely important. The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration's
new regulations for sunscreen labeling
recommend that your sunscreen
have a sun protection
factor
(SPF) of at least
15, and should
protect against
both Ultraviolet
A (UV-A) and Ultraviolet
B (UV-B) rays.
• Use the right amount of sunscreen:
According to the National
Council on Skin Cancer Prevention,
most people apply only 25-50 percent
of the recommended amount of
sunscreen. When out in the sun, it's
important that you apply at least one
ounce (a palm full) of sunscreen
every two hours. You should apply it
more often if you are sweating or
swimming, even if the sunscreen is
waterproof.
As I alluded to earlier, when you
are a Soldier, and young, skin safety
is often pushed to the back burner.
But it’s important that care is taken
to protect your skin as early as possible.
Officers and NCOs, set the example
for your Soldiers and make sure
they take the necessary precautions
to protect their skin.
Parents, do the same for your children.
If you explain to them the importance of staying out of the direct sunshine
during the hottest part of the day,
and wearing sunscreen for protection from
harmful UV rays, perhaps when they’re
older, they’ll remember.
Skin cancer is no fun. I was lucky; mine
was caught early. If you don’t take care of
your skin, you might not be as lucky. Use
sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight —
your body will appreciate it.

• Date Taken: 07.20.2018
• Date Posted: 07.23.2018 09:19
• Story ID: 285296
• Location: FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US