Listen to Mama

Alright, my three little birds. For better or worse, you share in my genetics and we are prone to skin cancer. After my melanoma scare a bit back, I'm learning the ropes of prevention, and you should too. It took the doctor staring me in the eye saying, "this could have been fatal" to really drive home the seriousness.


•Watch your own body for skin and mole changes. Be diligent about seeing a good, thorough dermatologist. For the time being, I need to go in every 3 months for a full check. Until you have a specific issue, once a year should be adequate.

•Take pictures of unusual areas/moles. This will help you determine changes, which are a warning sign.

•Fair skin is prone to sunburns (very, very bad!), but skin cancer isn't necessarily picky. Even if you have a darker skin tone (Peter, that means you) you are at risk. And while sun exposure is definitely a concern, skin cancer can develop on areas that "never see the light of day."

•Scars remind you that you are still here. Don't be afraid of getting nicked up. If they want to excise something for testing, do it. It's not that bad and the bandage (see above photo) can be used to milk sympathy and maybe even ice cream.

•Sunscreen, Darlings, sunscreen. Slather it on in the summer, but apply everyday on exposed areas such as face (get that hairline, too), back of hands, and neck. Golden skin does make you look lovely, but embrace the paleness. You'll look fabulous when your sixty.


And remember ... always listen to your Mama.