My wife has lupus, and she gets some really good hats from solumbra. Check em out!

I'm so sorry you're going through this, but I'm so happy you felt comfortable bringing it up. This is a great post as I need to get serious about my own coverage.
Blessings to you and your healing.
bon

Thanks, everyone! I went back for a complete scan and the spot on my face is all there is at this time. I'd like to keep it that way, lol!

Thank you for the reminder!! I have dark complexion and am really bad about not using sunscreen or hats!! We've camped and boated for yrs. I always worn sunglasses, sunscreen ect.

Why I don't now is pretty dumb!! I say I'm only going to be out there for a few min. Yes right!!!

I'm so sorry you are having surgery good luck and prayers for you!!

It's a good reminder for us all.

Sorie, I told my doctor I could go into a dark closet June 21 and come out September 21 and have a dark tan. I tan without trying. I, too, tell myself I'll only be out a few minutes and end up out for hours. Something I learned from my doc is that we shouldn't rely on moisturizers/makeup with sunscreen. Those are made to be absorbed into our skin. A good sunscreen is made to sit on top of the skin and block the damaging rays.

Ive seen hats that are advertised as high spf and Im not sold on that, but that's just me. My preference is any hat that has the biggest brim I can find. It not only shades your face but I feel like it keeps me cooler. My favorite costs $10 at McCoys and it looks like a ginormous cowboy hat. Wishing you speedy healing.

There is a website that rates makeup, lotion, etc. from best to worst and I go by that. I know Neutrogena ANYTHING is rated low. Perhaps somebody will post a link to that site. It is my my bible (and yet I cant remember the name of it, rats!) Here's to a successful operation and speedy recovery.

May I ask what made you go for a second exam? was it growing or hurting or changing shape? Did first doc not do a biopsy on it?

I went for a second time because there were other places on my face and body that the initial diagnosis caused me to wonder about. After the initial shock wore off, I thought I'd better have myself completely checked. There's a lady at work that has a spot on her nose that is BSC. I have a spot similar to hers on the side of my nose, but the doc said it was benign. Regarding Neutrogena, I can't wear it. It has something that irritates my skin. I used their shampoo once and thought I'd poured acid on my head!

Im so glad you were proactive in this regard. I hope you don't visit doctor #1 again and I hope you find a way to let him/her know of the misdiagnosis, not so much to complain but to make he/she be less casual about exams. Still haven't found the website rating products, it is really good and nonprofit, I think it is based in CA

I had a spot WAY DOWN LOW on my tummy-that even in my bikini wearing days didn't see the sun removed several years ago and it was real close to being the bad type of skin cancer. I had to go back in and have more tissue removed. It didn't heal right and I ended up having to endure 8 weeks of wound care-where they virtually scrapped off the scabs to have it heal from the center. Not pleasant.

July 2016 Consumer Report just did a test on SPF in sunscreens - from the cheapest to the high dollar ones. Most, when tested, did not test to what was on the label. Last years best was the Walmart Equate 50 SPF which I've been using. This years report in July,2016 100% is LaRoche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-in Sunscreen Milk. I've never heard of this brand and at $7.20 per ounce don't think I'll look too hard. The next three are all SPF 50 and tested as meeting the label claim. They are:Pure Sun Defense SPF50 Disney Frozen, Copertone Water Babies SPF 50; and Equate Ultra Protection SPF50.

The facial suncreens top two are Avon Sun + Suncreens Face Lotion SOF 40 and Target brand Up & Up SPF 30. Both met the claimed SPF rating.

We live in the middle of wheat fields and the wind can really howl at times. I finally found a light weight wide brimmed hat with a drawstring that works. It shades my face my ears and has a long neck flap that shields my neck. I think I bought it at TLC. I wear socks, heavy duty Crocs, denim jeans, tank top, long sleeve-buttoned up to my chin shirt SPF fabric shirt and heavy gloves. My summertime goal is not to have a watch suntan mark.

I have roscea so my face stays red most of the summer. Covered this way I only use suncreen on my face and neck.

Sitting in my dermatologist office Friday I read that denim jeans provide the best sun procreation and the color red blocks out the most rays. Didn't know that - don't have any red shirts but will keep that in mind. oh, by the way, I had a spot on my nose he froze off. Dang! That hurt!! So I think I'll do the reapply thing better.

Thanks, Patti! Great info!

Bossy, the first doctor is my primary care doc. I had already been looking for another doc because he has another patient with my name and there has been some confusion. (I also had an eye doc that has that same patient. That was a huge mess!). The last time I saw him, he decided I was depressed. Not a diagnosis I wanted. Sad, upset and scared, yes, but not depressed. Sad because I lost my youngest last year and it has been rough. Upset because of the misdiagnosis and not being able to get someone to handle it; I was being shuffled around. Scared because the word "cancer" is scary! But this dermatologist has really set my mind at ease.

Sorry you're having to deal with this!

I am currently using Blue Lizard. I'm a sunscreen freak though. it's not cheap. I have enough Irish/British/Scottish in me that I burn and freckle quite easily. In fact, my vitamin D is always low because I avoid the sun and use tons of sunscreen and work in the shade. (and I'm 99.9% vegetarian) Luckily my gardens have trees that sit to the west of them and it offers shade during the afternoon hours.

Anyway...Blue Lizard had been good so far. I used the Neutrogena line for a long time and really loved it--never got burned. Then the "organic" people got hold of me, so now I'm buying super expensive sunscreen products. Other than those two, I've used MD Solarscience.

I'm glad you have a dermatologist that has helped ease your mind. It sounds like you've been through so much.

It is not organic, but I love the copperone sport line. It is truly the only thing i have tried that doeant end up running in to my eyes when I sweat. Best of luck with the surgey and I am so glad there is only one spot. Also, now that you are going to be using sunblock from head to toe, you might consider adding a vitamin d supplement if you are not already taking one. Sounds like you have been getting tons of vitamin D the natural way, and you won't be getting as much with all of that sunblock.

I can't help with hats or clothes.

I have always had a problem with some of the chemicals in well-known sunscreens....I actually burn worse when I wear them. My latest one, though, is good....it's a kids version of Banana Boat, 50 spf, and it contains zinc oxide. It goes on white, but works into your skin pretty well and I've not had a problem with it at all.
I also wear a slogger hat (which you may see modeled in the potato pic :) )

Sharon

Blue Lizard isn't organic either--but it's new formula is supposedly "safer" with the chemicals it uses. I'm confused about all of it really.

I am sensitive to most sunscreens, but am able to use the Ocean Potion brand.

I am so sorry you have to go through this.

I can't wear sunscreen but I try to stay covered as much as possible. I wear long sleeve denim and wet down the shirt when I get too hot lol. And keep a bandana around your neck tuck in your hat like a drape if necessary. I also stay aware if I am one position a long time. I try to pay attention to which way I sit or stand.

When I was young I laid out with baby oil to get a dark tan. Not now. I get enough sun to get my vit d and that's it.

Sure hate that you're going through this, but glad you are making sure you are getting proper treatment. Also thankful you are sharing, as it is reminding many of us to use good preventive measures. Sending you positive thoughts!!!

Yes, I've learned a lot from this thread, too. I spent my life unable to tan, just burn and peel. Somehow in the last few years, I am tannng, and I was kind of pleased with that until I read this thread. I guess I'm not out long enough at a time to burn. I usually wear a hat, but my arms and the tops of my feet are brown. I don't know if I could stand long sleeves in this heat, but we picked up 2 inexpensive umbrellas at Harbor Freight today, so that may help.

I have used a woven palm, broad brimmed hat, ever since working in Central Mexico. You may or may not be able to find such a hat in the US. But the advantage of such a woven hat is that it is extremely light and lets air circulate under it, all the while, stopping the sun. Here's a picture.

In a sense, I'm blessed. The sunlight always bothers my eyes, so I never think to go out in the strong sunlight without a hat.

Lots to like in this pic ;)

Yep, great hat, great melon, great shirt!

I just restocked my sunblock, and I'll be in the market for a better hat than a baseball cap. I also need something to soak up sweat on my forehead. I'm ghostly white and break out in rashes and hives when I get too much sun, so I mainly just try to limit my time outside in the mid-day. I laid out in my youth, too.

Kim, I remember roasting my body in baby oil too. Weren't we young and foolish then?

Amy, Gardening under an umbrella is the best! It keeps you so much cooler. I bet you'll love it.

George, I love everything about that photo of you, including the roses! I think hats such as yours are still available. There was a guy who did yard work in town for many years, sort of like a yard and garden handyman, that we used to see while driving through town and he always wore a big, big Mexican sombrero that shaded practically his whole body while he worked. I always thought that we all need big woven straw hats like that. It was so large it was almost like he was wearing a sun umbrella.

The heat yesterday was just beastly and I stayed out in it too long helping Chris work on his house. Today I mostly stayed indoors in the kitchen and it didn't seem as hot as it had on previous days, but that might have been because I was doing more prep work that involved chopping veggies and not as much canning that involved making the kitchen hot and steamy.

I'm ready for a cool, rainy day but the odds for us having one of those are almost slim to none down here. I think we have a 20% chance of rain next Tuesday or Wednesday, and that's not much of a chance.

I got a nice cowboy hat I wear and my son gave me really great fishing hat his boss gave him and he didn't care for. I try to stay covered but sometimes it's so hot.