Your Skin Needs Love Too!

Hi everyone! This last weekend I must have spent over 10 hours outside doing some heavy gardening. I have to admit, that I carelessly went out there to pull weeds and plant flowers without slathering my skin with sunscreen. I periodically wore a big hat, but was not as diligent about keeping it on as I should have been. By the time I made it back into my house to rest and shower it became apparent I had made a major mistake . When I looked into the mirror before my bath all I saw was a splotchy, beet-red face staring back at me! I had such regrets, because I am fully aware of the damage I probably caused. My face already has a smattering of freckles because of fair complexion. At my age, I am starting to see the beginning of sunspots here and there, which does not make me happy, so I should have know better than to be so careless.  Our skin changes as we age. It becomes drier, thinner and more wrinkled. Many common skin conditions include age spots, shingles, purpuras, seborrheic keratoses, and skin cancer. Purpuras are common, spontaneous reddish-brown or purplish bruises, usually appearing on the arms and legs and are caused by bleeding under the skin. As our skin thins it becomes more prone to injury. Seborrheic Keratoses are harmless skin growths that are common among older folks. They are raised, light brown spots that thicken over time. Shingles is a painful, blistery skin rash that usually strikes one side of the face or body. You suffer a burning or itching sensation when shingles strike. It is a very common illness in people over 50 and can be very debilitating. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America and fortunately is very curable if caught early. There are 3 types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common. There is also squamous cell which are slow growing but can spread and be fatal if not treated early. Then there is melanoma, which is the most dangerous of all skin cancers. This type of skin cancer can spread beyond the skin to other organs. Fortunately, most cases of melanoma can be cured if treatment starts early enough. The main cause of skin cancer is excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.  This is exactly why I should have been more careful this last weekend and why you should always take caution when working in your garden, especially if you are fair skinned.  I will be much more careful going forward. With this beautiful weather we have been having here in Texas lately I plan much more "outside" time! Take care everyone, and remember to make your health a priority!