Here is a picture of my neck 15 weeks post op. It still hurts sometimes. It reminds me that I will never be whole again.
I am definitely a pale face. I have lots of freckles (less than I did as a child though), blue eyes, and reddish brown hair. A lot of peopl say I'm a "Ginger". I rarely tan, I generally just burn if I am careless or foolish with the sun. So I keep sunscreen in my purse, in my car, in my husband's car, and always at home too. If you need sunscreen I usually have some.
Colorado is a great place to live. Particularly Colorado Springs. We don't have the smog and traffic and Cost of Living of Denver, but it's close enough to enjoy still. We don't have the heat and desolation and dessert conditions of Pueblo, but can still enjoy the reservoir whenever we want. Colorado Springs has lots of sunshine throughout the year, but it usually is still comfortable.
This weekend was very hot. My youngest son Noah had a soccer tournament and soccer fields are not known for their shady trees. So, I slathered on the sunscreen on Saturday two times (he had two games) and although I felt like I was baking, I was so proud of myself for not getting sunburned. Yea me! On Sunday, he had to be at the field at 7:15 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. game. I was very sweaty the day before, so I made sure to wear cool clothes on Sunday. However, it was actually a little chilly in the morning. The wind made it cool and the clouds blocked out the sun every now and again. Some people were actually covered with blankets. Noah had to be back to the field at 1:45 p.m. for his final game. So, I slathered up again. Somehow I got burned during his last game. It was hot, so maybe I sweat off my sweat-proof sunscreen? Who knows, but not my scar is burned and I am all worried. What happens if you get a sunburn on a fresh scar? My surgeon warned me to keep sunscreen on it and/or out of the sun for ONE YEAR! Oops, it's only been about four months. Guess I will find out soon enough.
By the way, today's high might set a record at 96 degrees.
6 comments:
Sunscreen actually breaks down with sweat, and "sweat-proof" lotions only slow this process down temporarily, rather than prevent it. Also, sunscreen allows you to remain in the sun longer with less damage than you would incur without SPF. Being fair myself, the rule I tend to use follows: consider how long it take you to burn without any sunscreen, then add the SPF you choose to that. So, I know I will burn in the sun after 10 min. of direct exposure. If I use an SPF of 50, that means I can stay in the sun for 1 hour without burning. Sunscreen needs to be re-applied regularly, ie, at the end of that proposed 60 min period, and if sweat is heavy. On the whole, we all tend to use a lot less sunscreen than we probably should.
As for the scar itself, you might consider getting a tube of pure zinc oxide to apply over the sunscreen for extra protection. Yes, it's opaque white cream (remember the Zinca brand from the 80's?), but it should prevent any sun damage to your most tender new skin!
Hope this was helpful and not naggy-sounding :) Jenn
Great idea on the zinc oxcide, I will definitely try that. I am out in the sun often with all of my boys and their sports.
You were absolutely being helpful and not naggy! I appreciate the advice from my smart friends. Especially those that share my pale skin. :)
I think your scar looks great! I only wish mine was that small.
Very interested to read about keeping it covered in sunscreen, no one has mentioned that to me? But perhaps the sun here in Ireland is less fierce, so its not such an issue?
Thanks for a great blog
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