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 MaMa Hen
Posts: 12223
  
Location: Louisiana | This is a message to all my younger friends who spend hours in the saddle every day, riding horses in the sun. I have spent most of my 60 years doing that, and now I am paying for it with several pre-cancerous spots on my face. No, I don't have skin cancer at this time, but these spots have to be frozen/burned off every so often, to keep them from turning into cancer. This is not fun, it hurts, and it leaves ugly spots while they heal. But it has to be done. IF I had used sunscreen while I was riding, I probably wouldn't be dealing with this now. But I never did. I loved having a tan face, and using sunscreen really never crossed my mind. Nobody told me what could happen, so that is why I am telling you. I would like to ask you to stop and put sunscreen on your face before you climb in the saddle this summer. This goes for both guys and gals. Just do it.
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
 
Location: Oklahoma | I live in these shirts in the summer.... yes, they breathe and keep you cool. I am VERY fair skinned and they do in fact help... I also wear sunscreen and a big floppy hat
http://www.marystack.com/eis-cool-shirt-by-equi-in-style.html |
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 Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota |
Wow, that is interesting, they look more like something you'd wear in the Fall. Do they keep you cool when it is really hot? I may have to look in to them this summer. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Grits - 2014-03-18 8:53 AM This is a message to all my younger friends who spend hours in the saddle every day, riding horses in the sun. I have spent most of my 60 years doing that, and now I am paying for it with several pre-cancerous spots on my face. No, I don't have skin cancer at this time, but these spots have to be frozen/burned off every so often, to keep them from turning into cancer. This is not fun, it hurts, and it leaves ugly spots while they heal. But it has to be done. IF I had used sunscreen while I was riding, I probably wouldn't be dealing with this now. But I never did. I loved having a tan face, and using sunscreen really never crossed my mind. Nobody told me what could happen, so that is why I am telling you. I would like to ask you to stop and put sunscreen on your face before you climb in the saddle this summer. This goes for both guys and gals. Just do it.
I am right there with you. Always ride in a ball cap which still leaves my cheeks exposed. I have had them burned off since I was 31. I go in every year to be re-checked. |
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Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | Timber Creek - 2014-03-18 8:41 AM Wow, that is interesting, they look more like something you'd wear in the Fall. Do they keep you cool when it is really hot? I may have to look in to them this summer.
Yes, they do actually seem to cool you down. I used to work for Mary's Tack and Feed and we got to trial the shirts. They really are a neat invention... The underside of the sleeves are mesh too for ventilation. I wore mine in the summer here in OKC with no problems. |
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MaMa Hen
Posts: 12223
Location: Louisiana | I hate wearing caps and hats, so I have never worn them, other than at barrel races that required them. Most of my spots are on my nose and forehead. The Dr. warned me yesterday that I better use sunscreen of at least 15 and preferably 30 SPF every time I go out. I don't have any problems with my arms...yet....
By the way, some of you may be wondering what these spots are like. They are small and only slightly pinkish, not very noticeable, but they feel rough to the touch and are sometimes scaly. Some of them itch. It seems like my nose is always recovering from a sunburn, but it's this "pre-cancerous" stuff. They are not bumps like a pimple. And these spots never go away, until you have them frozen/burned off. They do not look like moles or brown "age spots". Like I said, they are pinkish, and some of them are not pink but just feel rough. If you think you have any of these, go to a dermatologist and get them taken care of before it's too late. On the other hand, if you have a darker red spot that makes a scab and never heals completely, run, don't walk, to a dermatologist! This is not something you want to fool around with! Early treatment is many times easier than later treatment. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I wear my husbands spf long sleeve fishing shirts. I spent 4 hours on the tractor, long sleeve shirt, cotton long pants and my legs got blisters from sun burn through my pants. I bought some pants SPF protection that I wear when going to be a long ride or working on the tractor. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
| YES! My mom is finally in remission after a long battle with Melanoma. She would ride in a bikini top all the time at home to get that deep tan. Well she had to have all of lymph nodes removed in her entire right side and has had to have 3 surgeries from this as well. So I am 24 and have to see a dermatologist for the rest of my life every six months because i have such a high chance of getting it now. WEAR SUNSCREEN! -- |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | Academy often has the Columbia or Magellan sunscreen shirts on sale cheap. I have some I have gotten on clearance for $4.99. They are long sleeve...button shirts made from lightweight breathable material and all of them have vents for cooling. My favorite is a perriwinkle blue magellan shirt that has these cleverly placed vents on the sides/shoulders that open and allow the air to flow right through as I'm trotting/cantering. They are excellent. I stay as cool or cooler than I ever did in my spaghetti strap tops I used to wear in the summer.
I also use a daily moisturizer that has SPF 30. I don't wear foundation (my freckles make it look ridiculous)...so the moisturizer is all I use and it's nice to have it already on as I may not always know when I'm going to be out in the sun. I do put on a true sunscreen when I know I will be.
I wish I could say I have always been this careful...but unfortunately that is not the case. I was young and carefree (Read as foolish) at one time in my life. |
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Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota | I had a bad one on my forehead that didn't really even look like a mole. In fact my regular doctor didn't think it was anything. It's worth a trip to the dermatologist. She did have me do a picato treatment. It's supposed to get rid of the bad cells before they turn in to cancer. |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Don't forget about sunscreen on the top of your hands! Have had multiple pre cancers removed and one basal cell cancer! I work for Derms and 2 of our docs do nothing but remove skin cancer all day long! Wish I had gone to work for them years ago! Thanks for posting this! I always post on the tanning bed threads and tell them it increases their odds of getting Melanomas by 75%. Hopefully some will listen! |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Yes UV goes right through your clothes. I had a skin cancer removed from my back last year. Not melanoma but still not good. Make sure that your clothes are thick enough, wear SPF sunscreen of at least 30, and do not forget your ears. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | As a fair skinned redhead, I am very conscious of my sunscreen application. I was at an air show all day Saturday (in AZ!) and it was 85 with the sun beating down all day and I didn't burn at all! That's only because I was reapplying about every 1-2 hours. I was almost OCD about it. But that's what it takes. And yes....tops of the hands!!!!
Whenever I ride I always wear a ball cap and sunglasses and at least a t-shirt. Nothing that exposes the chest. |
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Pig-Bear Dog Lover
| I'm glad to see this thread. I do apply sun screen regularly, in the morning I use cetaphil . Today I happened to forget my sun screen on my arms and chest. After just today I am burnt, its not even summer yet! I wear a huge sombrero type cowboy hot anytime I'm riding it helps. Lol |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | Glad to see this thread. I just lost my Mom to Melanoma last week. That gorgeous bronze skin can kill you. Please be careful. And protect your kiddos!! Slather them with sunscreen and cover their heads please. The more protection the better.
And I've heard that long sleeves actually keep you cooler! |
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 Baby Blue's
Posts: 7306
Location: Texas | I wear sunscreen and a baseball cap religiously. I'm 31 and haven't tanned in a tanning bed since I was 24 BUT I have had some severe burns growing up so I'm still constantly worried about skin cancer. And wrinkles! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 521
Location: Lone Star State | I am 35. I have olive skin so I don't burn easily. I am an outside person. I have had one precancerous area removed about 3 years ago and am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow about another spot I'm worried about. They have both been on the edge of my ears! It's easy to forget my ears when putting sunscreen on. I did not know uv rays go through clothing! I'm off to Academy to look at their Magellan shirts.... |
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 Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Good post. Because most people don't think about it. I rarely ever wear tank tops when I'm going to be exposed to the sun all day for this reason alone. And even at that, still wear sunscreen under my tshirts. Yes, you can burn through some shirts. I LOVE the off shore fishing shirts we acquired while in GA. They keep you cool on the hottest days and work as a suncreen.
I am sorry you are dealing with this and will pray for you |
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Location: Texas | I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this but if you do not like wearing hats make sure you buy hair products with sunscreen. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 533
Location: Mississippi | Oh, my gosh!! I am the poster child for basel cell carcinoma. I've had so many burned/frozen off of my face that I've lost count. Even had to have one surgically removed just below my left eye. And last month had to have one burned off of my scalp! I grew up in FL, in the time before sun screen. I'm fair complected, but always kept a tan. Now, I'm paying for it. Not Good! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| I have dark skin and I very rarely burn but I am 26 and starting to notice some wrinkles. I've never worn sunscreen for 2 reasons- 1, my mom didnt, and 2, most sunscreens make me break out. It scares me to think that I rode pens in a feedlot for 5 years and never used any protection... Im just waiting for it to catch me now. I recently started using Arbonne to stop the wrinkles, and in that have become more aware of all the risks involved with endless hours of sun worshipping. This will be my first summer protected as the day cream Im using has an SPF, and I just hope I started soon enough! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 521
Location: Lone Star State | I've seen more runners wearing these headbands. I personally don't like the looks of them but I tried one on today. Very lightweight! I wear hats but these would cover ears and have multiple uses. Anyway, just something I found today.
http://buffusa.com/sports/collections/uv-half-buff-reg/styles/filte...
http://buffusa.com/sports/collections/uv-buff-reg/styles/filter/sun...
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Riding & skin cancer. They go together.