OK folks.
This is a personal one.
Yes. I’m speaking to you.
And, no, I’m not going to spout the usual mantra of “slip, slop, yada, yada, yada”.
Because I’m talking to you:
- the tanned one
- the crusty-skinned one
- the one who got burnt last week
- the one who gets burned every summer
- the one who got burned as a kid and teen
- the one who has skin that’s too white
- the one who has skin that’s olive – so why bother protecting?
- the one who is bullet-proof
- the one who thinks that “all the damage is done”
- the one who has given up
- YOU
And I know you’ve heard it all before; how can you not have? You’d have to have been living under a rock for the past almost forty years not to.
So, since you might be ignoring all of the received wisdom of “slip, slop, slap, slide and seek” anyway – let’s park that for a while.
…..but only if we can do this deal:
I want you to answer the question in the title – ‘What Action Can I Take This Skin Cancer Action Week?’ – with:
“I undertake to do one thing – and one thing only – to decrease my risk of skin cancer this year.”
And, no, that’s not necessarily having a skin check. Although it’s a good thing to do, this task is on you. 100% you.
And it’s about prevention – not diagnosis. It’s about maximising your skin cancer doctor’s chances of finding nothing of concern, smiling and congratulating you on your skin care this year.
How about:
- Choosing to be a skin shade lighter this year than last
- Choosing to cover up with a shirt for a couple of hours when previously you wouldn’t have
- Finding a sunscreen that you don’t hate (try an alcohol-based one; they dry nicely)
- Sacrificing the hairdo a few times for a hat
- Buying some effective, UV-protected sunnies (go wrap-around, if you can)
- Fake-bake rather than the real-deal
- Go out this week and buy a rashie as an early Christmas gift to yourself
Just do one, small action this Skin Cancer Action Week.
And next year, we’ll discuss the next small step.
