Great reminder. And visit your dermatologist annually for checkups!

dhy, I've had the exact same thing - but up a little more toward the center of my nose. I also had MOHS, clear margins after one round (it was encaspulated). I have another spot (also encaspulated) at the base of the nostril. Hopefully it will be as easily removed. Yeah, lovely black stitches! But I'm thankful it was basel cell. Mine was also removed in 2014! I have a couple of little surface spots that will either be frozen off or use the chemo cream that "eats" it off. Fun, but again thankful. Heard this week of a friend of a friend's son-in-law who died from melanoma. He was 35 and left 3 young children. I use sunscreen, sadly I didn't in my early teens.

Yes, thank you for the reminder. I'm glad that you got it early and that your treatment went well.

I knew someone whose FIL had to have many rounds of the surgery on his face -- not fun at all.

how long did you have it before you decided to go to get it looked at? Did someone else bring it to your attention? Are you light / pale skinned?

I'm from the generation that baked for hours in the sun. I went to the beach every summer and we had a backyard pool. I've had a couple MOHS surgeries, nothing dramatic. The one that scared me was when I had a small cancer on my temple. The doctor mentioned that there isn't a lot fo skin there and it could go to the bone. Wish I could take back all that sunbathing.

I'm not fair & have dark hair & eyes. In my youth I tanned and rarely burned so I was surprised to have a skin cancer scare at 30. That was a blessing in disguise that has kept me vigilant about sun screening for the past 30 yrs.

Recently I had a "beauty mark" near my nose removed because it had changed and become raised. Thankfully, it was non cancerous. It healed within weeks with no sign it was ever there. My doc warned me of how disfiguring it could have been otherwise.

Timely reminder!

Look for moisturizers with zinc and titanium oxides. I use Cera've which can be purchased at Target. I think Neutrgena has one with those ingredients also.

starsplitter -- mine was the same color as my pale skin, hardly noticeable. In fact, the dermatologist missed it on my exam. He asked me if there was anything else, and I showed him the place and that it itched. He knew what it was because of the blood vessels in it. They did a biopsy and came back the next day.

I had it for years. I can't remember how many.

Since then, I use Dr Dennis Gross Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 as my base moisturizer -- daily. I had been using Clinique Even Better moisturizer, so I dropped that and use the one with SPF 50.

I need to be better about wearing sun hats, but I don't like them!

My BFF always tells me about her aunt (Southern CA) whose nose was completely gone by the time she died. Now my BFF, who lived in Hawaii most of her childhood, is getting spots removed on her face. My father whose lifelong outdoor hobby has been shooting (still going 5-6 days a week at 81yo) had a huge place on the side of his face recently from removals. Not the first time, and I'm sure not the last. It was a palm size mess and looked like it hurt. He's also had several spots removed from his ears.

I have fair skin and blue eyes. Don't tan. Several bad burns as a teenager, so I try to go to the derm annually. One was especially bad on the back of my legs, which are hard for me to see.

Definitely. I had squamous cancer on my forearm, and had to have surgery to remove it. He took a mass about 4 inches deep out of my arm, and I have a scar with indentation from it. I so wish I'd been careful in my youth ... I worked at a tanning salon in my late teens, and used the beds daily. Ugh.

Now I use self-tanning lotion, and lots of sunscreen.

I usually go in May, so I am due for my annual recheck. If I can get in this upcoming week or early next, anything frozen off would heal by my conference trip.

Also, wear your sunglasses! I found out this year I have a freckle in my eye which needs to be watched. Like the skin, there is a slight possibility they could turn cancerous.

Thanks, dyh and others.

MizGG, I'm glad you're okay. That must have been quite an ordeal. I'll have to look up what some of this skin cancers look like. WAY back, 3 PC crashes/deaths ago, I found a dermatology site with melanoma tutorials (for doctors but the site seemed open). It was very good.

I try to put on sunscreen -- face, arms, legs, hands, etc. and wear a brimmed hat. But I tend to overheat and sweat a lot and when it's humid and hot, it is hard not to feel a tad smothered with the moisture of the sun screen. I still use it as I don't want sun damage or skin cancer.

I have a few questions some of you may be able to answer.

1. When I've gone to my PCP and asked him to look at spots, he does. I've got some (? right name) actinic kera ____ on my legs. He never suggests I get an exam by a dermatologist. Should any of us mature folks do that as a general routine thing? I mean a general screening. Back along I read mixed news articles -- some suggesting yearly. Some stressing ~ head to toe, eyes, butt, privates...~

I've gotten a few bad sunburns and have been outdoors a lot during my life. As kids none of us knew about "sunscreen", just tanning lotions.

2. As for melanomas -- can/do they show up on areas that were _not_ exposed to sunburn? The basal cell ca usually (or always?) appears on an area of skin that was exposed to sun?

I remember reading about the late, great singer, Eva Cassidy. She developed melanoma (on her leg, IIRC) and died from it. Such a lovely talent, gone as she was just realizing some success. There are youtube vids of her music if anyone isn't acquainted with her and wants to hear magic.

Here are some links:

Eva Cassidy Story ABC Nightline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXU219b3Zdw

Fields of Gold -- (on my speakers it sounds distorted, there may be better uploaded recordings) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UVjjcOUJLE&list=RD9UVjjcOUJLE#t=70

Thanks again for the reminders, stories and tips, everyone. As someone just said, a very timely discussion.

Stars, my internist does skin checks on us. But, after finding a basal cell cancer, my derm recommends a yearly full body scan. The derm actually does not look at my "lady bits" (to be polite LOL), but my gyn does do a check when I have my yearly exam. If I were you, I would go to a derm and have a check and see what they suggest for future. If you do not have any problems, they may not recommend yearly for you. Just a suggestion.

starsplitter, I had/ have a fair number of actinic keratoses and the dermatologist freezes them off with liquid nitrogen. They crust over and fall off. Insurance covers some of this but I do end up with a couple hundred dollars due.

If you are middle-aged and have never seen a dermatologist, it is probably a good idea. We've all had a lifetime of sun exposure. You may or may not need a primary care referral depending on your insurance. I'm trying to get DH to go since he has sandy blond hair and is blue eyed and very sun sensitive.

BTW, with sunglasses, even the cheapest ones that say 100% UV protection offer it. I've read several articles on that, but they had this on the Today show a couple of weeks back. You'll get a nicer frame and maybe a little less distortion with a more expensive pair, but the UV protection is the same with drugstore sunglasses.

Ah, Eva. She was a local here. That was just so very sad.

Sunscreens: does anyone know one that is not a cream-based one? Years ago, I used one that came in a brown plastic bottle (I think) and had sun in its name, but for the life of me I can't remember it. It seemed to be more like an alcohol-based one. My skin does not react well to most sunscreens today, so I would love to find one like that old one. Guess I should check with our dermatologist.

Thanks for the reminder dyh. Glad your doc was able to get it all!

Everyday on my face for 20 years. Now if I can just remember to slather it on my arms while gardening. :(

Thank you, everyone, for the reminder. I grew up tanning with my big sister. Remember baby oil and iodine? I always loved to get a tiny bit of sunburn across my nose and cheeks for that "healthy glow". Even in my thirties, after knowing better, I occasionally went to the tanning beds before a vacation. So dumb. I have not had to have anything removed but my Derm says I'm lucky and it's just a matter of time before I do. I wish I could take it all back, too.

I couldn't agree more. I grew up when dark tans were the ultimate goal. I spent untold hours in the sun slathered in baby oil. I tanned like crazy so nothing would keep me out of the sun in the deadly hours of 10am-2pm. Oh well.

Last summer I dodged a bullet when they caught a very early melanoma on my inner calf. Got clean margins and I thank God for that. Now I have skin checks every 6 months. But the damage has been done.

There are so many stories here. For those who have gone through the skin cancer scare, I'm glad you caught it and received treatment.

tinam61 - I've always been diligent about sunglasses because my eyes are sensitive to light. From the young age of 8, I made sure my son always wore good sunglasses, too. I have trace cataracts and I've heard the sun exposure contributes to those, too.

I could have written the OP's post.

I do wear sunglasses and have for probably 40 years now. I even wear them in the winter if there is water on the road resulting in glare. Even that can affect your eyes and it definitely results in you squinting and causing wrinkles.