vacationing in Mexico, should I get some color before I go?

UVB rays are the rays that cause "color".  UVB causes the other forms of skin cancer.  UVA is thought mostly responsible for melanoma.  Certainly, bad burns increase your risk of melanoma, but any color raises your risks for skin cancer.  Having had a melanoma already, you are also at higher risk for the other skin cancers as well as another melanoma.  You get to make your own choices about sun exposure, but I'd do a little more research on a "safe tan" if I was you.  Have a good trip!

Best wishes,

Janner

UVB rays are the rays that cause "color".  UVB causes the other forms of skin cancer.  UVA is thought mostly responsible for melanoma.  Certainly, bad burns increase your risk of melanoma, but any color raises your risks for skin cancer.  Having had a melanoma already, you are also at higher risk for the other skin cancers as well as another melanoma.  You get to make your own choices about sun exposure, but I'd do a little more research on a "safe tan" if I was you.  Have a good trip!

Best wishes,

Janner

UVB rays are the rays that cause "color".  UVB causes the other forms of skin cancer.  UVA is thought mostly responsible for melanoma.  Certainly, bad burns increase your risk of melanoma, but any color raises your risks for skin cancer.  Having had a melanoma already, you are also at higher risk for the other skin cancers as well as another melanoma.  You get to make your own choices about sun exposure, but I'd do a little more research on a "safe tan" if I was you.  Have a good trip!

Best wishes,

Janner

Strictly from personal experience growing up on the beach in Southern California, living most of my life in the tropics (Brazil, Costa Rica), ozone hole/high melanoma areas like SW Australia- you already know what I think.   As I've confessed, I know next to nothing about melanoma.  That is, other than two primaries the last two years and the recent biopsies revealing malignancies of one kind or another.   For this reason and because I've been 'burned' in a quite different way for doing so, I'm reluctant to venture an opinion.   Strictly from my own experience again, I continue to feel concern about regular, moderate sun exposure is nonsense.   Sorry.   If it helps assuage anger at the tyro Stage 1 with the temerity to speak out, it's just my opinion.  Take it or leave it.

Strictly from personal experience growing up on the beach in Southern California, living most of my life in the tropics (Brazil, Costa Rica), ozone hole/high melanoma areas like SW Australia- you already know what I think.   As I've confessed, I know next to nothing about melanoma.  That is, other than two primaries the last two years and the recent biopsies revealing malignancies of one kind or another.   For this reason and because I've been 'burned' in a quite different way for doing so, I'm reluctant to venture an opinion.   Strictly from my own experience again, I continue to feel concern about regular, moderate sun exposure is nonsense.   Sorry.   If it helps assuage anger at the tyro Stage 1 with the temerity to speak out, it's just my opinion.  Take it or leave it.

Strictly from personal experience growing up on the beach in Southern California, living most of my life in the tropics (Brazil, Costa Rica), ozone hole/high melanoma areas like SW Australia- you already know what I think.   As I've confessed, I know next to nothing about melanoma.  That is, other than two primaries the last two years and the recent biopsies revealing malignancies of one kind or another.   For this reason and because I've been 'burned' in a quite different way for doing so, I'm reluctant to venture an opinion.   Strictly from my own experience again, I continue to feel concern about regular, moderate sun exposure is nonsense.   Sorry.   If it helps assuage anger at the tyro Stage 1 with the temerity to speak out, it's just my opinion.  Take it or leave it.

"Tolerance for (the word) 'tan'"?    Sorry, politically correct nonsense.   Check recent studies.  Not decades of received wisdom from the heliophobic health & sunblock establishment.   Common sense, please? 

"Tolerance for (the word) 'tan'"?    Sorry, politically correct nonsense.   Check recent studies.  Not decades of received wisdom from the heliophobic health & sunblock establishment.   Common sense, please? 

"Tolerance for (the word) 'tan'"?    Sorry, politically correct nonsense.   Check recent studies.  Not decades of received wisdom from the heliophobic health & sunblock establishment.   Common sense, please? 

I don't agree.  If you change your plans because of melanoma, then it has already won!  I do what I want in life, then try to do it smarter.  If I go to somewhere sunny, I just make sure I have sun clothing and sun block.  Then I go have fun!  I give melanoma the respect it deserves and then I do what I want. 

Janner

I don't agree.  If you change your plans because of melanoma, then it has already won!  I do what I want in life, then try to do it smarter.  If I go to somewhere sunny, I just make sure I have sun clothing and sun block.  Then I go have fun!  I give melanoma the respect it deserves and then I do what I want. 

Janner

Thank you , Janner!

         You said in previuos posts ,melanoma increase risk of another cancers.

         It is interesting question for me . My melanoma was on the breast ,so I spoke with my Doc about breast or another cancers possibility ,and he says it is no correlation between one cancer and another,

       Sometimes it seems to me my Doctor just very kind and polite and sometimes he says what I want to hear.Or am I wrong ?

Thank you , Janner!

         You said in previuos posts ,melanoma increase risk of another cancers.

         It is interesting question for me . My melanoma was on the breast ,so I spoke with my Doc about breast or another cancers possibility ,and he says it is no correlation between one cancer and another,

       Sometimes it seems to me my Doctor just very kind and polite and sometimes he says what I want to hear.Or am I wrong ?

Thank you , Janner!

         You said in previuos posts ,melanoma increase risk of another cancers.

         It is interesting question for me . My melanoma was on the breast ,so I spoke with my Doc about breast or another cancers possibility ,and he says it is no correlation between one cancer and another,

       Sometimes it seems to me my Doctor just very kind and polite and sometimes he says what I want to hear.Or am I wrong ?

There are studies that suggest some correlation between melanoma and breast cancer but it's been a long time since I've looked at the data.  People who have a genetic defect for melanoma are at higher risk for other cancers, too.  But the cancers I was referring to in my posts were Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).  These are the other common skin cancers.  Once you've had melanoma, your risk for both these other skin cancers increases.  And while they may not seem like a big deal to most, they can cause a lot of tissue destruction and removal can be disfiguring.  BCC lacks the ability to metastasize, but SCC can.  I know people whose scars for removal of these types of cancer are larger than their WLE's for melanoma. 

There are studies that suggest some correlation between melanoma and breast cancer but it's been a long time since I've looked at the data.  People who have a genetic defect for melanoma are at higher risk for other cancers, too.  But the cancers I was referring to in my posts were Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).  These are the other common skin cancers.  Once you've had melanoma, your risk for both these other skin cancers increases.  And while they may not seem like a big deal to most, they can cause a lot of tissue destruction and removal can be disfiguring.  BCC lacks the ability to metastasize, but SCC can.  I know people whose scars for removal of these types of cancer are larger than their WLE's for melanoma. 

There are studies that suggest some correlation between melanoma and breast cancer but it's been a long time since I've looked at the data.  People who have a genetic defect for melanoma are at higher risk for other cancers, too.  But the cancers I was referring to in my posts were Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).  These are the other common skin cancers.  Once you've had melanoma, your risk for both these other skin cancers increases.  And while they may not seem like a big deal to most, they can cause a lot of tissue destruction and removal can be disfiguring.  BCC lacks the ability to metastasize, but SCC can.  I know people whose scars for removal of these types of cancer are larger than their WLE's for melanoma. 

I agree with Janner. Don't let melanoma run your life. If you want to go someplace sunny on vacation, then go. We went to Jamaica last November and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We did go to the beach, which had ample shade that we took advantage of. Our beach time generally was from 10:30 – noon-ish and/or 3:00-4:30. Basically we tried to avoid the beach when the sun was at its peak.  Even with all the shade we had, I still wore sunblock. I went swimming, I snorkeled — no way was I not going to enjoy myself. I went home as lily-white as when I arrived…LOL.

If you go someplace sunny on vacation, you need to be smart about it: bring sun block, wear a hat, wear sun clothing, stay in the shade when possible, and above all, have a good time!

I agree with Janner. Don't let melanoma run your life. If you want to go someplace sunny on vacation, then go. We went to Jamaica last November and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We did go to the beach, which had ample shade that we took advantage of. Our beach time generally was from 10:30 – noon-ish and/or 3:00-4:30. Basically we tried to avoid the beach when the sun was at its peak.  Even with all the shade we had, I still wore sunblock. I went swimming, I snorkeled — no way was I not going to enjoy myself. I went home as lily-white as when I arrived…LOL.

If you go someplace sunny on vacation, you need to be smart about it: bring sun block, wear a hat, wear sun clothing, stay in the shade when possible, and above all, have a good time!

I agree with Janner. Don't let melanoma run your life. If you want to go someplace sunny on vacation, then go. We went to Jamaica last November and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We did go to the beach, which had ample shade that we took advantage of. Our beach time generally was from 10:30 – noon-ish and/or 3:00-4:30. Basically we tried to avoid the beach when the sun was at its peak.  Even with all the shade we had, I still wore sunblock. I went swimming, I snorkeled — no way was I not going to enjoy myself. I went home as lily-white as when I arrived…LOL.

If you go someplace sunny on vacation, you need to be smart about it: bring sun block, wear a hat, wear sun clothing, stay in the shade when possible, and above all, have a good time!

Covered in dubious goop shrouded like a vampire in disguise dreading the daylight?   For a "good time" like this, how about Alaska in winter.   🙂

Covered in dubious goop shrouded like a vampire in disguise dreading the daylight?   For a "good time" like this, how about Alaska in winter.   🙂

Covered in dubious goop shrouded like a vampire in disguise dreading the daylight?   For a "good time" like this, how about Alaska in winter.   🙂

I don't agree.  If you change your plans because of melanoma, then it has already won!  I do what I want in life, then try to do it smarter.  If I go to somewhere sunny, I just make sure I have sun clothing and sun block.  Then I go have fun!  I give melanoma the respect it deserves and then I do what I want. 

Janner