Melanoma Monday: We didn’t know about sunscreen and skin damage

We didn’t know about sunscreen. We didn’t know about the damage the sun could do.

I think back to when we kids oh so long ago. Summer meant spending time in the sun. It could be playing ball with the guys at the park. Maybe we went to the local pool or beach. But after a long, cold winter, it felt great to be outside with the sun beating down on our skin. We didn’t know we could be killing ourselves.

We didn’t think of sunscreen back then—it was all suntan lotion. That’s the way it was advertised. Remember the Coppertone ads? A little girl with a dark tan that was accentuated by the dog pulling down on her swimsuit so you could see her pale white bottom. That was the goal back then—getting a dark suntan not only made you look better, but it was supposedly healthier, too.

They either didn’t know better or they lied to us.

Today is another Melanoma Monday. Those of us in the community wear black as a way to raise awareness of this form of cancer. It’s also a way to honor those who have died from the disease.

Each year in America, almost 200,000 people will be diagnosed with Melanoma. Close to 10,000 will die from the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

We know much more about this than we did sixty or so years ago. Be aware of the damage the sun can do to your skin. Wear sunscreen.