Beware the sun.

[James Shadle]

Many of you may have seen Artie and me wearing our "head gear". The "head gear" is a special SPF 50 Sun Protection Hood. https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=268

Some have commented that I must be an extremist or afraid of the sun.
I just wished I had started wearing it much earlier in life.

Today I had 3 "pre-cancerous" spots burned off of my face.
Two on the left side(sun hits it when driving) and my scalp line(spot that was exposed when I turned my hat around to shoot verts). Caught them early enough, so everything is good.

Long sleeves, long pants and a sun protection hood has been my standard field wear for the last couple of years!
I recommend the same for all who spend much time in the sun. At the very least wear SPF 30 sunscreen on all exposed areas of skin and have regular check ups with a dermatologist.

You can't be to careful.

James

[Michael Pancier]

I've recently picked up the Columbia long sleeve shirts with 30+ SPF for use in the desert, but I've been using them out here in Fla too. Can't be careful enough with the sun. Glad to hear all is ok.

[Alfred Forns]

Good advice James !! Sun will take a toll on most of us, a few years back I had a Melanoma on left forearm and didn't think I was going to make it !!!

Sunscreens will only go so far since protection can be lost, best to use a different barrier. Another high recommendation for the head gear.

[Edgar Morrison]

Hi James, I am in constrution and a few years ago discovered "Tilley Hats". They are the best hats I have ever owned, they are great in the sun or the rain and when they get dirty you just throw them in the washer. Like most high quality equipment they aren't cheap. The "Air Flow" is my favorite.
Edgar

[Cliff Beittel]

While I don't disagree with the above advice, having had a melanoma myself (and my wife's had two), I believe many Americans are so sun-conscious (my dermatologist applies sunscreen every day, no matter what the weather or his activities) that they are Vitamin D deficient. From what I read, the body makes a maximum of 10,000 IU per day, which requires only 20 minutes of exposure for light-skinned people, then shuts off production. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) is 400 IU, which may be too low, and many people may get as little as 100 IU (from fortified foods). Ironically, auto glass blocks the UV frequencies that trigger Vitamin D production while letting pass the ones that cause cancer.

[Connie Mier]

Hi James, I am in constrution and a few years ago discovered "Tilley Hats". They are the best hats I have ever owned, they are great in the sun or the rain and when they get dirty you just throw them in the washer. Like most high quality equipment they aren't cheap. The "Air Flow" is my favorite.
Edgar

Edgar, I agree, Tilleys are the best! Been wearing them for years and recently I sent my old one back for a replacement because it was alittle rough around the edges from so many washings and exposure to salt water (mine and the ocean). And it was free!
Connie

[James Shadle]

Cliff,
I agree that many are Vitamin D deficient and I am one of the fair haired fair skin folks.
My truck windows are almost always down and that is a bit of a problem.

I only wear my sun protection gear afield and get my vitamin D throughout the day.

All a matter of education, common sense and balance.

Thanks for bringing that info to the table.

James

[Ed Cordes]

Great advice by all. I never cease to be amazed by those who ignore Sun protection. I would also add that UV protective Sunglasses are just as important!

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

When you live in Australia you learn very quickly to take the Sun seriously and most of us "outdoors types" know at least one person who has died of melanoma, it is a insidious and awful disease if not identified and treated in its very early stages.

http://www.cancer.org.au/aboutcancer/cancertypes/melanoma.htm


Wrap around sunglasses are also a must as is "sun block" for places like the nose under the eyes and oft forgotten the tops of the ears and lips, good hats long sleved shirts, long trousers and what most of us wear now UV protective gloves.

Watch anyone die from melanoma and you will never laugh at fols with all the right stuff on again.

Take care folks.

[Jim Zipp]

Great advice! I burn faster than average so have done what I can to avoid the sun best I can. For many years when shooting at the shore or on a boat when there's no shade in sight I've worn one of the ball type hats with the drop down shield similar to the one Artie used to use a lot. More than one person came up to me from behind thinking I was Artie! Nearly always wear long sleeves and pants too. That hood would help with black flies etc too I suspect.

I do really like the shield you mentioned and will probably get one but it's sure not an item to wear if you are out to impress the ladies for sure but I'm past that point!:D

[Ed Erkes]

I grew up on the coast of North Carolina, worked several summers as a teen earning money by shrimping, worked seven summers as a lifeguard on the beach. I wear sunscreen only to prevent sunburn and generally get a good tan each year. The most common type of skin cancer from sun exposure is basal cell carcinoma which is slow-growing, rarely metastasizes and is almost never fatal. Squamous cell carcinoma is the 2nd most common form of skin cancer and has an excellent prognosis if detected early. The most common location is the lower lip (so lip balm is definitely recommended, especially if you begin to see sun changes to lip--fading and alteration of lip color and particularly fading of the distinct junction between lip and skin--the vermillion border). Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is much less common and its relationship to sun exposure is quite controversial (just google the subject)--since most melanomas occur in non sun-exposed areas. If you are fair-skinned, obviously, you are at greater risk of skin cancers from sun exposure. If you are darker complexioned, tan easily, then the risks are much less.

[Tony Whitehead]

Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is much less common and its relationship to sun exposure is quite controversial (just google the subject)--since most melanomas occur in non sun-exposed areas. If you are fair-skinned, obviously, you are at greater risk of skin cancers from sun exposure. If you are darker complexioned, tan easily, then the risks are much less.
I agree that melanoma is the most dangerous of the common skin cancers ( I would probably prefer it to a Merkel cell tumour though). I am not so sure that the role of UV exposure is as controversial as you seem to be suggesting, Ed. I can't find any link on the first page of google that doesn't mention it as a risk factor. It is definitely a multifactorial disease with genetic factors being implicated but UV related mutations seem to be quite well recognised as contributors too. UV is also a contributor to immune suppression which is another factor possibly implicated in the pathogeneis of skin cancers. The most common sites in males are the back & trunk and females the lower legs which are both areas that, while they may be covered day to day, are at risk of intermittent over-exposure when at the beach in a bathing suit. Agreed that pigmented folk have a lower risk and often develop their melanomas on non-sun-exposed areas such as the soles of feet. The current consensus for prevention of skin cancers seems still to be UV avoidance (restricting exposure during peak UV times of the day) and protection (firstly clothing, supplemented by sun screen). While I am sure UV is not the whole story it is probably the most modifiable risk factor as we cannot avoid any genetic predisposition we may have.

[Ed Erkes]

The current consensus for prevention of skin cancers seems still to be UV avoidance (restricting exposure during peak UV times of the day) and protection (firstly clothing, supplemented by sun screen). While I am sure UV is not the whole story it is probably the most modifiable risk factor as we cannot avoid any genetic predisposition we may have.
I have no problem with people taking any precautions they choose for the prevention of disease. I just wanted to present the other side of the coin--that there are informed people who choose not to cover every exposed surface of their body due to concern about skin cancer-- especially if they don't have the family history of skin cancer, history of severe sunburns as a child, or fair complexions. I guess I was responding mainly to the poster who stated, "I never cease to be amazed by those who ignore Sun protection." Fatalities in the US from non-melonoma skin cancer are less than 3000 per year and generally occur in older individuals after many years of sun exposure. As a comparison fatalities from traffic accidents are greater than 40,000 per year. Unless you are high risk, use of sunscreen is probably more than adequate for protection.

[James Shadle]

"Unless you are high risk, use of sunscreen is probably more than adequate for protection."

Nanotechnology is new and is used to offer the "smoothest" suncreen possible. Unfortunitly due to the very small (nano) particles, it is easier to get the the substances used to make the sunscreen into your blood stream. PABA, Dioxybenzone, Oxybenzone, and Titanium Dioxide are toxins. Especially with nanotechnology.

Octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA) , Benzophenone-3 (Bp-3), Homosalate (HMS) , Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) and 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC) can disrupte hormone levels and release free radicals.

That is why I choose to use SPF rated clothing, masks, gloves and hats.

All of the above being said. The potential for harm from sunscreen is still lower than the potential for sun damaged skin if you choose not to "cover up".