Cancer can hook its malignant neoplasm hooks into anyone. It's one of the world's most devastating diseases because there is no set cure. Cancer is your body turning against itself in the most awful way. My focus is skin cancer because people do not realise that skin cancer ignores race and there has been a frightening recurrence of stupid "Hey! Let me have some skin cancer on my body!" practices.
*Sunscreens that don't make you blue are horrendously expensive and available at Dischem.
Today marks the start of the University of Pretoria's CANSA Shaveathon drive. CANSA, The Cancer Association of South Africa, hosts many events around South Africa to raise awareness about cancer, not just skin cancer. It is done to celebrate survivors and to remember those who passed away from it. The Shavathon is an event that requires you to either shave your hair off or spray paint your hair by paying R50. Go and support it. I don't mean to scare you but it could be you that has your hair fall out due to chemotherapy, I think you'd want the support. Skin cancer isn't the end of the world, however, remember to take an active step to doing something about it.
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| Red heads are most at risk of getting skin cancer and living their lives without their souls. |
The only good thing I'll tell you in this depressing post is that most skin cancers are preventable. You should know how to prevent them by now: the use of sunscreen and refrain from tanning.
You should know this.
I recently realised that although people should know "this", they choose to ignore it. So I put together a minor threatening guide to avoiding most skin cancers in hopes that you will remember "this" at the end.
I will rip out your hair extensions if you go near the tanning bed
A few years ago tanning beds were all the rage. People booked many appointments at their spas. People went and bought the machines for home use. Then it came out that tanning beds are one of the prime causers of skin cancer. Oh, didn't people scramble to get rid of the machines and I truely thought that the tanning bed fiasco was over until I recently saw signs advertising tanning bed appointments. There is no supply without demand so it means that people are back in those things.
I get that you don't want to be pale and pasty but you should be protecting your body's largest organ, your skin. Rather go for tanning sprays and lotions. I don't know how safe they are, because they also edit what your skin cells are doing, but I can imagine that it would be better than the beds. If Snooki develops skin cancer then maybe we can worry about the alternative.
If the issue of being bronzed really bothers you that much then move to a country that doesn't have much sun. Go far away to places like the South and North Poles during winter where it's completely dark, oh wait... there's still an ozone hole present at one of the poles. Might I suggest you move to a coal mine?
Sunscreen is an excuse to get a mini back rub, use it
I get laughed at when I whip out my SPF 50 sunscreen. Hang on, let me be honest. I think I might get laughed at because it makes me slightly blue*.
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| Not quite like this though |
Most black girls hate getting sun burnt, dig the shade, wear hats outside and will carry around sunscreen. They might do this for appearance reasons but it works all the same. I get shocked when my white friends take out SPF 15 when they want to spend a day out in the sun. When your t-shirts are SPF 8 I find myself asking what's the point of that sunscreen?
In case you didn't know, Wise Geek defines SPF as the following: "SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. The number you see associated with SPF represents the length of time you can stay out in the sun without burning, multiplied by the corresponding number. So a person who would normally start to burn in 10 minutes, could theoretically have 150 minutes of sun protection with a sunscreen that has an SPF of 15."
Most SPF 15 sunscreens last on average an hour if you're not running about or swimming. So remember to re-apply and try chill in the shade around midday, 12pm, because the sun is out to roast you then.
Most SPF 15 sunscreens last on average an hour if you're not running about or swimming. So remember to re-apply and try chill in the shade around midday, 12pm, because the sun is out to roast you then.
*Sunscreens that don't make you blue are horrendously expensive and available at Dischem.
Watch this video, it might make you cry
Oh, so you still feel like ignoring common sense. Please watch this video.
Today marks the start of the University of Pretoria's CANSA Shaveathon drive. CANSA, The Cancer Association of South Africa, hosts many events around South Africa to raise awareness about cancer, not just skin cancer. It is done to celebrate survivors and to remember those who passed away from it. The Shavathon is an event that requires you to either shave your hair off or spray paint your hair by paying R50. Go and support it. I don't mean to scare you but it could be you that has your hair fall out due to chemotherapy, I think you'd want the support. Skin cancer isn't the end of the world, however, remember to take an active step to doing something about it.
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