Fair skin is IN!

Hmmm yesterday I had an itch for summer and sunshine. I do like Winter, I like all the seasons, but sometimes this happens in January/February. So, to try to smother those thoughts, I recalled all the lessons I've learned about sun & skin. Currently, I work as a Medical Assistant at a Dermatology office. I love this job! But holy cow, I see a lot of FRIED skin. Luckily, early on in my life, I learned my skin didn't tan very well. My skin did have cycles all right. It could go from white, red, peel, white, red, peel, etc. I decided I'd just avoid the red and peel part and just stay white forever!

I learned this lesson again on my Honeymoon at the Bahamas. I think probably everyone in the history of the world knows all the stories of my honeymoon, because they are viral. It was a honeymoon to remember. Somehow, my SPF 50 got left on the Cruise ship, when we got to the beach, it felt soooo good and I never felt that sting of sunshine on my skin that I usually do in Utah that tells me it's time for more sunscreen. Several hours later, we were fried. And I mean fried, CRISPY! We spent the rest of our time at the bahamas jumping from shade to shade and we spent more money on Aloe vera than we did on anything else during the whole cruise. We laugh looking back, but then, I cried looking at Cody's back. And I cried looking at my FACE! It blistered up bad and I was wrinkly and scary looking...people would look at us and cringe everywhere we went.

Look at our unprotected fair skin...at the gorgeous beach...we had a blast!

This is on the uphill part...when we were back home...took so long for his back to heal!

Indications of 2nd degree burns...Cody had a huge blister that popped on his shirt. I had to peel his shirt off his open burned skin. 

This is me...the sunscreen Nazi. 

Now that I've been hired at a Derm office, all I hear from people is "I wish I stayed out of the sun" and "Stay out of the sun" as they have surgery to have cancer removed. Here are the top 10 lessons I've learned since working here, really lessons for myself that I hope I always remember.

1. Tanning beds=evil.
2. Virgin Olive Oil is the only thing found to reverse some of the radiation damage after a sunburn. I'd be careful putting it on your face though...because it could cause you to break out.
3. Face Moisturizer is the best eye makeup remover...ever. I'll never use that other greasy stuff again
4. Don't get pedicures or manicures...do them yourself...the infections we see from those places is disgusting.
5. Learn to love your face. Let yourself age gracefully. You can spend SO much money on Botox and fillers.
6. Get your moles looked at.
7. Clothes are the best sunscreen
8. Tan skin now=wrinkles and brown spots later (well at least for my skin type)
9. You don't need to exfoliate your face...it can cause problems...your skin does that on it's own.
10. If you have a scratch, or an incision, or wound. Keep plain old vaseline and a bandaid on it. It can keep it from scarring. If you let it dry out and scab over, expect a worse scar.