Sorry, I don't have time to read all of the posts (lunchtime) but I do have to weigh in on this. I ignored a mole on my upper back/shoulder. It didn't look like the pictures I had seen of skin cancer and heck, if skin cancer gets me it'll be 30-40 years from now. It actually started out looking like a flat shadow to the stick-up mole beside it. It eventually grew to the size of, I don't know, the size of the other stick-up mole? It was just a brown, flat, round mole with not jagged edges or anything suspicious.

My parents begged me and begged me to have it checked out. When I finally did 2 years after it first appeared the Dr. was astounded. I should have been dead already. I was 29. I had 3 surgeries in 6 weeks, I had all sorts of Specialists (I was told there were 41 doctors on the case). Supposedly there is or are cells from my body or tissue growing in a lab somewhere because they are trying to find out what was different about my cells that the cancer did not spread. If it spreads it could kill you in 6-8 months.

Anyway, this is only to educate, not scare. I am celebrating my 39th birthday next week. I have fair skin, green eyes, blonde hair, quite a few moles, etc. Your classic candidate. I stopped tanning when I got to be in my 20's & I only went to the tanning beds about 6 or 7 times. I wear sunblock when I am out. I do not participate in things like boating, skiing, etc. unless I REALLY want to and use precaution. I got married on the beach in Maui. I felt that putting on the block was worth it to have that kind of wedding. Anyway, just be careful and don't take foolish chances. (Tanning beds and baking in the sun.) My husband is Mexican and very dark but he doesn't take a lot chances either. He uses sunblock because blacks, hispanic, asians, brown eyes, etc. No one is immune. Take care of yourself!

PS: there are perks. My husband always drops me off at the door when we go places and I don't have to do YARDWORK! hahaha! {:-D

Sunscreeeeeeen!! - get serious! As i usually get a decent tan from the "MOON" I decided (4years ago in florida) to be wise about it.
1)... i found out what the pro-tennis players use - its usually Neutrogena spf45+ - why? well they are on court all day and this stuff works well! - its also non greasy and doesn't feel like its clogging you up.a bit more expensive but delivers the goods.

2) go out and buy 5 tubes of the stuff - leave ONE in the CAR as the sun coming in hits your hands for hours at a time. leave others in sports bags and near the door.... and then USE them.
3) shirts are about as effective sun protection as cardboard box is in rain..if you don't believe me, hold your shirt up to the sun and see how much light streams thru' ?
Some shirts nowadays offer UVB protection in the fibres.
4) get a decent hat - one with vent in the top.wider brim.
5) invest in decent pair of "glass" sunglasses - with uva/b protection expect to pay over $100 - you know you want to anyway!
6) save the Money on all the above and move to England!

Thanks for the tip buckeyemom. I also use water babies 45 but it always stings my eyes if it is washed in. I'll try cetaphil on my face and see how that goes. Have not found any sunscreen that doesn't sting my eyes. Started using water babies 6 years ago after I talked to the pool waitress on Maui about what she used to keep from burning with the skimpy outfit on all day in the sun.

Suzie-A friend of mine has the same problem with her daughter. Putting it on and she rubs her eyes and they sting. She found Sea and Ski for Babies that doesn't seem to sting. It's hard to find in drug stores in Ohio but she has found it online.

Another sun screen user here. I use sun screen on my face daily and sun screen on the rest of me if I am going to be out in the sun. I also wear my sunglasses and a hat. I fake and bake to get some color.

I don't want to get skin cancer and I don't want to look old, wrinkly, and spotted before my time.

k, yes, I am saying that the only real protection from harmful rays is to stay out of the sun entirely.

On my sailing trip, we religiously put on sunscreen all day long and it didn't block out all the rays. On a sailboat (even if you are under the bimini) you get sun threefold; directly, reflecting off the boat and the sails, and the reflection off the water.

FYI, sunscreen only has a shelf life of about 9 months. The active ingredients start to break down and it isn't as effective as it once was.

The best sunscreen I've ever used is Bullfrog. Waterproof, sweatproof, and stays on the longest.

Righto gotravel! My kids always get bullfrog. The kids watermelon gel is best and lasts really long. They never get a burn. Son has taken to wearing shirts over putting on sunscreen. When he's in the pool in the evening he looks like the underbelly of a fish ;)

OOOOOO, buckeyemom, sea n ski the first sunscreen, or suntan lotion as we called it, I ever applied. Just the smell of it, or coppertone, brings me back to Camp Richardson in South Lake Tahoe-the place of our annual family vacations!

Just a reminder for those that pile on the sunscreen: don't forget to work it in, there is nothing grosser than someone with a nice white coating of grease on their back and face because someone forgot to rub the sunscreen all the way. I prefer SPF 8 so that I get that nice sun-kissed glow.

I lived in Hawaii for ten years (ages 13 to 23) where I'd often spend ten hours a day at the beach. Back then I had a bit of an olive complexion-- rarely burned and got great tans using baby oil or Hawaiian Tropics oil.

Now I live in Ohio and wear sunscreen on my face everyday year round. I use Lancome Bienfait Total (SPF 15). If I know I'm going to be outside working or playing I add a layer of Cellex-C Sunscreen and Moisturizer (SPF 30). I also use Lubriderm Daily UV Lotion (SPF 15) on the rest of me, adding a waterproof suncreen if I'm going to be outside for any length of time.

I have my skin checked annually by a dermatologist. I just had two (more) actinic keratosis lesions removed. I've had numerous moles removed, one dysplastic. So far so good, but my mother has had basal cell carcinoma and my younger brother has had malignant melanoma. Fortunately, my brother's cancer was caught early, but he does have a lovely six-inch scar on his neck.

I wish I had known the dangers of tanning 30 years ago. No, a tan is not worth the chance of getting skin cancer!

I wear Coppertone just for its fragrance.

To the person who asked if anyone else got a tan using sunscreen, I sure do, even when using SPF 30. I refuse, when I go on vacation, to stay indoors. I can do that in the office I work in. Not everyone who gets a tan stays in the sun for hours on end bathing in it. A tan is just all the melanomas heading toward the DNA of every skin cell and protecting it from the sun's rays. Either your body overreacts and the melanomas goes in overdrive and you get cancer or you have a normal reaction to the sun. Regarding sunscreen, I prefer the cheapest and/or the least greasy. Right now I am using No-Ad Self Tanner, big 16 oz bottle at Walmart for like $5.

I was diagnosed with Melanoma last year at the age of 31. No it is not worth it. I have two small kids, and life is precious. Luckily mine was caught early. I am now very cautious. No SPF 8 for me, but SPF 50. In the summer I just fake bake with sunless tanners.

The difference between a 15SPF and a 30SPF is that the 15 blocks out 93% of the suns rays and the 30 blocks out 97% of the suns rays. I try to stay away from anything over 30 because all it does is clog up my pores and breaks me out.

Hee_hee_hee, Good point. I think Coppertone smells like summertime. I might wear it even if I din't go outdoors. Coppertone SPF 45 is my favorite.

I have yet to find a sunblock that wont irritate my skin or eyes, but am thrilled to have found www.sunsafe.com, www.sunsolutionsclothing.com. I have comfortable long sleeve turtleneck tunic length swim tops and long swim pants. They are perfectly comfortable, I even swam in the waves of Hawaii. They make very cute kids suits also. I also wore my swim pants horseback riding all day in the sun, and they were the most comfortable I've riden in for 50 years. The quality of these are great too. I found them through the American Skin Cancer and the Albino .org. websites.

One other bit of info that most people do not seem to know is that you can get Melanoma of the EYES! I do not know too much about it my Uncle's best friend died of it. Yeeeeek! I just started wearing sunglasses in my mid 30's.

Tanning beds/tanning booths, etc, also cause skin problems, including cancer. Don't fool yourself into thinking they are "safe".

Sunscreen is essential to maintain healthy skin if you are in the sun a lot. I'm fair-skinned and burn easily, so I, myself, wear sunscreen (having learned my lesson the hard way too many times as a kid and a teenager. Now, as an adult, I'm paying the price by having to get moles removed every couple of years.).

But see, the problem with sunscreen is that it fools people into thinking they can stay out for a long time without any damage to their skin. They think, "The bottle says 40 SPF, so I can stay out 40 times longer and I'll be fine."

Frequent and thorough re-application of your sunscreen is the ultimate key to staying healthy. That, and avoidance of tanning beds.

diart, good point. Everyone should ask to have their eyes dialated to look for cancer when they see their eye doctor. I do it each year.

Yes, great point Diart. I have freckles in my eyes that you can't really see since they are brown, but i always wear sunglasses in the sun.

Make sure the sunglasses are ceritfied for UVA and UVB protection.