Sun block

[jayL]

Reading sandfly's tips in the other thread got me thinking of warmer times and warmer climates. It's snowing here in philly, and I'm packing the wool for this weekend's ice trekking/fishing trip, so a little delusion is doing me some good.

I'm not exactly fair skinned, and I get relatively dark in the summer months. I guess it's the italian half of me, but I'm not sure on that one. My PA dutch dad cooks like a lobster, but my Italian mom doesn't. Due to this, I never wear sunscreen.

People gasp when they hear it, and they always tell me that I'm going to regret it. Any of you guys who have been at it a few more years than I have do the same, or am I screwed? I've never burned to the point of peeling, even at the beach. We won't discuss the fact that I'm part wookie, which helps, but I'm starting to get worried that I should do something about sun protection.

I hate the way the stuff feels and smells.

 

[David]

I'm a few years your senior (39), and I can count on one hand the number of times I've worn sun screen. No side effects yet.
It probably isn't the wisest thing, but "it is what it is" at this point.

 

[MKern]

I wear it, but I get burnt and don't really tan. There is usually a day in May that I come home with burnt hands and forearms. After that, I carry sun gloves. I only wear them a couple times per year, but the definately help on days I forget to put sun screen on.

 

[Fishidiot]

JayL,
I don't like the stuff either but there are some newer, spray on sunscreens that I find much less objectionable and have a high SPF. While I don't tend to burn either, I've seen too many of my older friends, many of whom had darker complexions when young, getting melanomas and basal cells carved out of their faces. Two of my friends have died of skin cancer. As I've gotten older, like most folks, I've become more cautious and respectful of nature so I tend to use sunscreen pretty consistently, esp on my face. Even though I rarely go outside without a hat I always have a tube of sunscreen in my fishing vest and usually remember to put it on, esp on saltwater trips. With what we know about skin cancer these days, I think it's best to err on the safe side and use the stuff.
And take care of that shoulder my friend. I suffered a bad dislocation nearly two decades ago and, with the confidence (and stupidity) of youth I was fly casting within hours after the shoulder was reduced in the emergency room. The docs told me to wear a sling and take it easy and I ignored 'em (it was prime caddis time on Spring Creek!). While I don't really have permanent problems, the shoulder has never been the same and is prone to pop out. At least I can pop it back in painlessly now. :-D

 

[tomgamber]

Jay, when I was your age I used to get down right brown. Even if get burned now, withing a day or so it turns to tan. My face will peel occasionally, especially my nose. My wife on the other hand is a red head and her dad, a hunter and fisherman, has had some run ins with skin cancer. I usually end up putting it on when I've already gotten too much sun and don;t want any more rather than doing it proactively. The older you get, the more you should think about it.

You're right, thinking about that warmed me up.

 

[jayL]

Thanks for the advice guys. I might look into the spray stuff for my face and ears, which are the only places I do get a little sun.

Fishidiot,

It still hurts a good bit, but I'm going to try to go it without the sling tomorrow. I exhausted my supply of percocet last night, so I figure it's worth a shot at returning to a toned down version of normal life.

If it were my fishing shoulder, I'd be using a spin rod this weekend. Luckily, it's not.

Oddly enough, today while getting dressed, I noticed a sharp pain right around my rear end. I was so banged up elsewhere that I never managed to give myself a full check up, but apparently I missed the most horrific bruise that I've ever had. I'm pleased it wasn't my kidneys. Between the shoulder, the foggy head, the cut up forearms, and the pills, I hadn't noticed that I dinged my *** pretty hard on those rocks.

Thanks for your advice. I've never had a shoulder injury before, but after walking around in a sling for a few days, it seems like everyone's got a story. I was scared, but it seems like everything's gonna be ok. And here I thought I was going to be lifelong invalid.

 

[dryflyguy]

I never worried much about sun exposure until my first trip out west fishing - at age 37. I really got fried floating down the bighorn river all day in a drift boat. My face, neck, and arms peeled for weeks afterward.
Ever since then, I've been more careful, and started using sunblock

 

[pcray1231]

JayL,

I tan, but only through burning. Basically I'll get a burn, when it peels the skin underneath is darker than before, making the next burn not quite as bad as the last, till by late summer I don't burn anymore.

I don't like sunscreen either. But the stuff works. For fishing or golfing, I rarely use it, and I'll burn my arms a little and sometimes my face, but rarely badly. Swimming is my problem. I don't swim much but I fish a lot, so I end up with a heck of an embarrasing farmer's tan. When I do swim I'll put on the waterproof sunscreen, but I'm half fish, and I don't care what those people say the stuff washes off in 10-15 minutes of swimming.

 

[simplefish]

Jay, I worked outside in the Florida Keys for many years, and I have a couple of tips for you about sunscreen. Use it, no doubt. If you don't like the greasy feeling, try Bullfrogs brand of sunscreen. It's alcohol based and evaporates after you apply it. It just tingles for about the first few seconds, then you don't even feel it. I was told by a dermatologist that Bullfrog does not block all the different harmful UVA and UVB rays, but it's definitely better than nothing.
If you want to be 100% safe, try Neutrogena sunscreen in the white tubes. They offer a "dry feel" sunscreen that is definitely more comfortable than the other oily stuff on the market. It's pricey, but so is melanoma.
I'm only 33 and have been under the knife and laser many times, and have sunspots on my face, hands, neck shoulders, and back. Yeah, I'm fair skinned, and burn easily. But, just because you turn a nice shade of brown in the summer doesn't mean that you are safe.
Ah crap, now I sound like my dermatologist.

 

[greenghost]

JayL,
Like it or not, wear it!

My wife was recently diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma. She worshipped the sun all of her life and rarely wore sunscreen. At 45, she now has to avoid the sun, wear a hat when she does go out, and always wear sunblock.

She regrets not being more careful when she was younger, like you.