Fun in the Sun and Melanoma

Dang, I wish we had a video like this in the 80's. I can't tell you how many times as a child or teen I had a sunburn. We literally lived on the beach until I was 8 then every summer after. Numerous photos show 3 little girls or teens with beet red faces and arms. We were George Harrison in the spring with our coconut-oiled-SPF-nothing bodies, sun reflectors and sun-in hair products. Just to have that awesome bronzed glow and blond streaked hair. You laid out. That's just what you did. It became your social status- who had the deepest bronze; that was the person who was envied in HS.

My dad always smelled like Coppertone and living in a condo on the beach that is still his cologne, but for us kids- we never had repeated sunscreen lathering after getting out of the water or playing on the shore. Eat, play, read, 12 hours a day everyday makes for fun memories but will it bite us later?

Interestingly, that Copperton-ed daddy is the one who developed melanoma on his foot. Now, he reminds us all to sunscreen and repeat.

Our family skin is programmed for moles. Most have had one removed or will have this year. So sunscreen and tee shirts are important for skin protection. I have a 16 year old. Mckenna is the beach lover of the family and she tries to darken up but she is also our palest and biggest moled baby and so we constantly tell her to chill on the laying out, cover up and slick up with the sunscreen.

Thank heavens my Dad's melanoma was caught early and sat on a small body part. All this for the past love of the sun.

Sometimes I wonder now if it was all with it.
For now, I have to say "Heck Yes". I love the sun and the family fun memories!


(This is a spin off of a discussion forum answer for my health class.)