Skin Cancer, Spain and Fake Tan

Skin Cancer, Spain and Fake Tan sound like odd bedfellows. Well, you are right. I just threw them together in a post. But there is a tenuous connection. Because I was going to Spain, I tried yet another false tan. And a few days after I returned, I was having my cancerous lesion removed.

SPAIN

We had a lovely trip to Spain with some friends for sun and relaxation a month ago. I love doors. This was in a restaurant in the mountains where we ate outside.

Sunshine was our friend. We played golf, swam, read our books, laughed, ate lovely food, drank wine and relaxed.

I took very few photos of outfits or rather Graham didn’t. He was on strike; he does that sometimes. Turns into Grumpy rather than Gorgeous Graham. Joking obviously!

So, I had to take a mirror pic to show you the fun sunglasses I borrowed from my daughter. The hat is Wallaroo. Cover-up is ancient. There is a bikini underneath.

Malaga Airport

The only disconcerting part was our arrival into Malaga Airport. It was a Sunday and there seemingly was a go-slow.  A few thousand people weaved up and down the Arrivals Hall in a random way. As more passengers arrived the snake grew longer.

Having not been in such close quarters to so many people for over 18 months, it was disconcerting. In fact, I felt quite unsafe. An hour later the line started moving and we were waved through passport control. No need for a passport, it seemed.

However, the temperature check and Covid passport check were even more disorganised. The self-regulated orderly line in the arrivals hall was gone.

Eventually, we got through that. Two hours were spent in Malaga airport in very close quarters with other people. I was not happy.

We learned later that these strikes/go-slows have been quite common on Sundays recently.

We had double-masked on the aeroplane (to be sure to be sure) and those masks did not leave our faces until we had left the airport. The return journey was fine both in Malaga and at Dublin. But there were no Temperature Checks or Covid Passport checks for anyone entering Ireland. Is that odd?

SKIN CANCER

Regular readers will know that I wear sun factor daily. Of course, I was not always so fastidious and like many of my generation, I lay in the sun for hours when I was young with little or no protection. In 2018, I had a pre-cancerous skin lesion on my forehead removed. You can read about it HERE.

Well, it returned and this time Dr Steve  of SKIN CHECK told me it was skin cancer. I was lucky to get an appointment pretty quickly in The Sports Surgery Clinic with Mr Hanson. He reassured me, whisked me in when I had returned from Spain and in jig time I was home following a local anaesthetic. No pain just pressure as he went in to dig it out, I guess.

It has healed pretty well now, but it has taken a while. When the stitches were removed, the wound re-opened.  Possibly because the skin on the forehead is thin, the previous lesion was in the same area, or it could be just ageing. But I was well looked after and steri-strips held it together until it healed. A waterproof plaster disguised it and many of my friends did not even notice it.

PHOTO JOURNAL OF THE SKIN CANCER REMOVAL

1. Gowned up as a Day Patient in The Sports Surgery Clinic. That is what my skin cancer looked like – innocuous enough.

After surgery below.

2.  A week later. I went to my doctor to get the stitches out. I probably should have gone back to The Sports Surgery Clinic.

3. When the stitches came out, it was perfect but 10 minutes later it had split open so I had to go back to the doctor.

Mr Hanson saw me the next day. And re-did the steri-strips.

I saw him again a week later and he re-did the steri-strips again. I was to take it off 5 days later. Below is what it looked like then when the plaster came off. I have to massage the scar and it will improve over time. They got all the skin cancer. Simple enough stuff.

 

MESSAGE

Wear SPF on your face all year around. Many creams include it and this would be plenty for the months outside summer. In summer I prefer to wear a proper sun cream Factor 50. My favourites this year are Kiehls and L’Oreal.

Go get a full body/face skin check.

Tell your children/friends/partners to wear sun cream when out in the sun. Graham has to be reminded constantly.

FAKE TAN

So, as I do not sit in the sun now, I am quite pale. I don’t mind here in Ireland, but I stand out even more in sunny countries. This might be the time to tell you that I have found a fake tan that works for me. I am useless at fake tanning. But earlier this year I was sent some He Shi products and they sat there.

But when I was heading out to Spain, I decided to try them out.

What do you want in a fake tan?

1. Ease of application

2. No streaking

3. No staining the sheets

4. No smell.

5. A natural-looking colour

ADDED BONUS

The formula contains hydrating ingredients such as Aloe Vera and  Vit E and my skin felt wonderful.

“What do you think Graham?” as I pranced around. “Very natural,” he replied.

I also uses their face-tanning cream and applied it with their kabuki brush. Again delighted with it.

I am a convert.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do not sit in the sun without SPF protection. I am lucky my skin cancer is treatable and not something more sinister. Get yourself some false tan if you are going to Spain. Or anywhere you might need to look less pasty. I wore He Shi.

See I tied it all together. Impressed?

Thanks for reading.

Hilda xxx