Growing up near the beach in Southern California, we were exposed to sun worshipping at an early age. As a child, we ran around outside in the surf and sun with no regard for what would happen to out skin later. No, we weren’t the victims of bad parents; they simply didn’t know that we should be lathered in sunscreen with a hat and sunglasses. Fortunately, I caught on rather early in my teens and have not left the house a day since then without some form of sun protection.

Not everyone was so fortunate. I remember hanging out on the beach and talking to the older surfer guys and gals. You could tell who spent most of their time outside. Men’s faces would have that “rugged” look with the lizard-like neck and hands. Women would also have that weathered quality to their skin, especially in the neck and décolletage area. I remember looking in the mirror in search of any sign of that lizard skin. Talk about paranoid!

In one of my part-time jobs pre-college, I assisted a local tanning salon owner with her marketing efforts. We came up with a package deal for customers who hadn’t been in the shop in over a month. I remember contacting one of the clients to ask her to take advantage of this great offer. She apologetically told me that she had skin cancer! I do mean apologetically. She then explained her longing to get that beautiful tan in great detail. She even asked me to check back with her in a few months to see if her doctor would let her back in the tanning bed!

In college, I worked as a scuba diving class assistant/underwater research assistant (gosh, those were the days). The instructor I worked for was close to retirement age and had spent his entire life in the Florida sun. Needless to say, he had many cancerous growths removed from his shoulders and ears. Fortunately for him, he had them removed in the early stages at each occurrence. If he even suspected something looked odd on his skin, he went and had it checked. In addition, he now took time to wear a big, funny hat and sunscreen every time he was out. Several of his research colleagues that were his age had similar tales of skin cancer.

The point is – watch yourself! As beautiful as that tan looks it can not only make you look like you are wearing an alligator skin but it can kill you! There are plenty of products on the market in order to suit everyone’s needs. As much as I miss that wonderful beach girl tan I used to have, I think a longer and healthier life trumps that.