Confessions of a former sun worshipper

I admit it, I am a former sun god. Yes, I spent my misspent youth slathering on baby oil and frying in the Missouri summer sun. I even resorted to using tin foil reflectors to enhance Mr. Sun's impact.

And what did I get for all of those efforts? Well, some 35 years later, saying my face has "character" is being all too kind.

Hey, I am just a product of my time. But now we know better. Now we know that sun exposure can cause cancer. And we should also know that skin cancers are the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States.

I figure it is time to get serious about this skin cancer business so I turned to an expert on skin cancer, Dr. Keith Llewellyn.

I immediately asked him the question that all former sun gods and goddesses will want to ask: Have we sealed our doom? Is it too late?

"What is done is done," says the doctor. "You can't erase your lifetime accumulation of sun exposure." And yes, this cumulative exposure does make one more susceptible to skin cancer. This is especially true if you are fair skinned and have blue eyes ... and if you have a family history of skin cancers.

So what can we repentant sun worshippers do going forward?

"It is not a wasted question," said Dr. Llewellyn reassuringly. "Life expectancies are increasing -- you may have 30 more years ahead of you -- and there is a lot you can do to prevent skin cancer from cutting that short."

First off, Llewellyn advises that anyone with a lot of sun exposure should be examined once a year, head to toe, by a doctor. Rough, red, scaly spots on sun-exposed skin that persist for a long time create concern.

Most skin cancers are of the non-melanoma variety. These are usually localized and tend not to spread. But their presence does put one at some future risk of developing other skin cancers.

The big meanies of the skin cancer world are the malignant melanomas, the ones that are more likely to spread and become lethal.

Although these can arise on completely normal appearing skin, it is usually the moles that get the spotlight here. We all have them, but they become a concern when they pass the "ABCD" test: Asymmetry; Borders that are irregular; Color that is unevenly pigmented; and a Diameter that has grown larger than 6 millimeters.

"The mole that becomes uglier than all the rest is the one to be concerned about," says the doctor. And if you don't have a pattern of moles but develop a new one as an older person, this is also suspicious.

The important thing is to catch the melanoma early, before it has had a chance to spread systemically to other organs. When diagnosed early, there is a cure rate greater than 90 percent.

All right, I'm convinced. I'm trading in my baby oil for a good broad spectrum sunscreen that will protect me from both UVA and UVB rays. I will apply it at least 20 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours, I promise. (30 SPF is sufficient).

When doing my outdoor thing, I will wear something with a tighter weave than cotton as well as a hat with a brim. And I need to avoid the high-wattage hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Using a topical retinoid (like Retin A) is also a good idea, both for its protection against pre-cancers and for its anti-wrinkling benefits.

Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh is a Cape Girardeau native who is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience helping individuals and couples with their emotional and relationship issues. He has a private practice in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, Calif. Contact him at mseabaugh@semissourian.com.