Just say NO...

[Slickdome]

i definitely need some sun though...what ya think about a tannin salon for now?

....to the call of the tanning bed!

I'm a proud Sly Guy, but my day job as a cancerbuster compels me to strongly discourage anyone from going out and deliberately trying to tan the dome at a tanning salon. 

Moreover....with Spring and Summer just around the corner...if you're going to be out in the full-strength sun, ALWAYS wear sunscreen; at least SPF 30-45, applied liberally and often.   However, I should advise you that the ONLY PROVEN way of preventing skin cancer is SUN AVOIDANCE, so don't forget to wear a hat as well.

The incidence of skin cancer continues to escalate, and the naked scalp is one of the most vulnerable regions for UV-induced skin damage, which can lead to malignancy. This is especially dangerous if you already have some pigmented lesions (moles) up there.

Don't forget: a "suntan" is the body's way of telling you that you're overdosing on UV. By the time you have a "sunburn", the damage has already been done.

Skin cancer is very preventable. Don't take any chances; life is too short as it is - you don't want to do anything to end it prematurely.  And believe me, malignant melanoma is BAD news. By the time it's diagnosed, it's often already metastasized.  And the cure rate for that stage is virtually ZERO.

Be Sly, but be smart.

[PBurke]

very informative slickdome. great post. i think that is something everyone has to think about. not just us

[juventus206]

Agreed, especially with some of us shaving our heads for the first time.  This will be my first summer season with a shaved head

[Tyler]

Thanks for the post Slickdome!!

[Kajun]

thanks for the info and important reminder slickdome!....i posted my pics today on a private forum that my clan/guildmates use...online gameing type stuff ..we've been together about 9 yrs now......one buddy who lives in canada..says.."kajun your head looks just like mine now"...i was like "you shaved your head too?" ...after a few private messages and a phone call...i find out he shaved his due to chemotherapy....stage 3a stomach cancer...he beat testicular cancer 2 yrs ago and now this.  ..but he has a very positive attitude and is a fighter, i really hope he beats this one too..

it definetly brought my "issues" about shaving my head down to earth...and made me realize that a few folicles in the big scheme of life is trivial compared to what some people are going through....this is a great reminder that the sun is a big killer also...i'll get some color on the noggin but i will definetly be using sunblock and hats every chance i get.

also in my line of work i can't be scared of alil UV radiation.....respectful but not fearful....i'm an industrial X-ray/ultrasound tech(NDT)...i work with radiation on a daily basis, gamma(the nasty stuff) and x-ray waves...basically it all comes down to exposure rates.....and our main safety rule concerning exposure rates is "ALARA"....As Low As Reasonably Acheivable...

[Slickdome]

...one buddy who lives in canada...shaved his due to chemotherapy....stage 3a stomach cancer...he beat testicular cancer 2 yrs ago and now this.  ..but he has a very positive attitude and is a fighter, i really hope he beats this one too...made me realize that a few folicles in the big scheme of life is trivial compared to what some people are going through....

So true, Kajun.   Best wishes to your buddy in Canada; having a positive attitude is SO important to the overall strategy in fighting this disease...definitely sounds like he's got a good support system in place as well, which is also crucial. 

And yes, dealing with a serious illness (as a victim or an observer) does put certain things into perspective.  Unfortunately, there is a whole lot of suffering in this world...and I occasionally feel overwhelmed by the task at hand.   

We just need to remind ourselves that, sometimes,  even winning the smallest battle makes a huge difference in fighting the war.

Pardon my lapse into preachiness.     

JJ

[Razor X]

i definitely need some sun though...what ya think about a tannin salon for now?

....to the call of the tanning bed!

I'm a proud Sly Guy, but my day job as a cancerbuster compels me to strongly discourage anyone from going out and deliberately trying to tan the dome at a tanning salon. 

Thanks for posting this, JJ.  I've always wondered if tanning salons were safe.  I've never gone to one myself.  My Irish skin just isn't going to tan, no matter what, so I learned a long time ago that I just have to keep it protected from the sun.   They have tanning beds at the gym where I work out, and they advertise it as a "safe" alternative to tanning in the sun, because the dosage and intensity are controlled, but I've always been skeptical of those claims.  It's good to get the true story from an expert.

[Slickdome]

Lots more info here:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/ped_7_1_Skin_Cancer_Detection_What_You_Can_Do.asp?sitearea=PED

[Teambean]

Slickdome...thanks so much for the info....It is exactly what my derm told me this past year. . He told me NOT to forget my ears, forehead and neck, as well as my scalp. Ive been using the product he recommended, Matte For Men,  everyday since.

teambean

[gearhedguy]

Please, please, please take heed in this warning about sun exposure and skin cancer. Please! When I was in my teens and 20's I was a sun addict and in the summer I was outside as much as possible. I simply couldn't get enough of summer sun. Plus, when I was a kid they didn't know as much as they do today about the importance of skin protection; getting a sunburn (or several) was simply part of the summertime experience. To top it off, I was the reddish haired freckled variety. For the past few years I have been dealing with this sun damage. So far (fingers crossed) every suspicious spot on my body has turned out to be benign. But every few months a new spot appears and off to the dermatologist I go. And with every visit, I fear the worse; could this be THE one?!? Because of this, now just feeling the sun on my skin makes it crawl. When I was young I felt invincible (as most of us do) and I thought skin cancer was somthing that only happens to someone else. Surely it would't happen to me. Could it? Well, it can happen to anyone. If I knew back then what I know today, I would have stayed in the house the entire summer only venturning out after sunset! 

[hipstersaint]

that's good info.....

[Bolohead]

New Sly Guy here, thanks for the info... I work in the sun all day, do wear a company cap as the clean dome is new - as I told her that I made a mistake using the trimmers.  She thinks it will grow back but thats a little hard to do when I use a razor to keep the noggin clean 

Now if I could just sneak in that goatee again....

[Paul]

Welcomed to SBG J-B, make yourself at home.

[ice4life]

J_B thats awesome! The goatee might be difficult, but you'd be in history books if you get away with it.... Maybe the sly dome will distract her? Good luck, nice noggin!

 Ice