Mind Your Head

[Bper]

Hi All,

I went to the doctor's this afternoon to have a small sore area of skin on my temple frozen. The doctor also identified some other red spots on my head. I shave my head on a regular basis as after losing my hair many years ago, it looks better bald.

However, he informed me that these spots are skin damage caused by the sun. He prescribed a cream which acts as a chemical peel but does restore the skin. I am not a sun worshipper and do wear a hat when the sun is strong but not always.

I was informed that these spots could become potentially cancerous if not protected by a high factor sun cream and wearing a hat when it is sunny.

He told me that he is seeing more men with skin damage and like myself, they do not realise or bother to protect themselves when out in the sunshine.

.This is just a reminder especially those to of us who are folically challenged (receding or bald), to make sure you protect yourselves when out in the sun to prevent skin damage.

[Primus1]

Well, firstly congratulations for being able to see a doctor!, I do hope your condition doesn’t turn into something more serious, I’m not a sun worshipper and I stay out of it where I can, I do have a head of hair, albeit grey and thinning but, maybe I should think about my exposed areas of skin ( arms, face) and start applying sunblock…

[Haliotis]

I’ve got the typical bald spot at my crown, and often wear some kind of headgear in the hot weather, but have to admit that I’m not as conscientious as I should be.  Will global warming make this another factor for us to worry over?

[Stopeter44]

14 hours ago, Bper said:

However, he informed me that these spots are skin damage caused by the sun. He prescribed a cream which acts as a chemical peel but does restore the skin. I am not a sun worshipper and do wear a hat when the sun is strong but not always.

I was informed that these spots could become potentially cancerous if not protected by a high factor sun cream and wearing a hat when it is sunny.

Consult a dermatologist at least annually. I've been having all over skin checks for decades now. All the dermatologists I have consulted have said, no more than 10 minutes in the sun without a titfer.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Stopeter44
Titfer instead of tipfer

[Hybrid21]

9 minutes ago, Stopeter44 said:

Consult a dermatologist at least annually. I've been having all over skin checks for decades now. All the dermatologists I have consulted have said, no more than 10 minutes in the sun without a tipfer.

tipfer ?

[Bper]

I was fortunate to see a doctor that deals with skin conditions and who can identify potential skin cancers. To be honest, when I went to see him I had no idea I had any problems other than a few small red spots that I assumed was caused by using a head razor on a regular basis. However, as I was talking to him he kept looking at me and then he got his light scope and started exploring the top of my head.

My immediate thought was ‘what is he looking at’? as my original problem was near my temple. He then asked my wife if she has noticed these head spots before and she said yes but thought as I did they were caused by the head razor.

The problem is with bald or receding hair lines and bald patches we are more susceptible to potential sun damage along with head trauma doing DIY etc., which I can attest to as my wife says I can hit my head in an open field.

Well after informing me I have skin damage, I immediately thought Melanoma especially when he said what can we do about this? After a big gulp from me he said they are not cancerous but if left they could develop over time.

He told me that he is seeing many men especially older than myself with bad skin conditions and in many cases they are cancerous. He said that many of these have been caused by people living in warmer climates such as Spain etc., or holidaying without using high factor creams and hats. It's not just heads it's arms, backs etc.,

Whilst our weather in this country is moderate we often forget to cover up when we do get the sun and even when it's not particularly sunny it can still damage the skin.

He also told me to feel the spots and the surrounding skin and how rough it is, that is a sign of skin damage as normally these areas should be smooth.

Well it certainly opened my eyes and shocked me to think that I may have had skin cancer. He said I could just leave it or use a cream that will cause the areas to peel which will not look good as it's like a chemical peel but after a month the spots will go and the areas will heal and look normal.

I am obviously putting this out here to encourage everyone who reads this to have any long term red spots or blemishes that are on your head or indeed other parts of your body investigated ASAP. Most of these findings are benign but it's always best to check as early diagnosis is best.

 

And make sure you cover up in the sun!

[Parts-King]

1 hour ago, Hybrid21 said:

tipfer ?

I think the phrase is titfer 

[Roy124]

tat  - 'at

[Stopeter44]

1 hour ago, Hybrid21 said:

tipfer ?

Yes, my bad. I can't spell. It is indeed Titfer, me old china. 😉

[Hybrid21]

6 hours ago, Stopeter44 said:

Yes, my bad. I can't spell. It is indeed Titfer, me old china. 😉

New word for me Peter, you learn something every day 👍

[Primus1]

Well, I used to drive a van and regularly suffered from van arm in the summer ( right arm always facing the window) so it went browner than the other , I will think more seriously about applying sun cream to any exposed skin, especially if we get a summer of 40deg like we had recently…

[Gren]

It was 40 degrees last week - Farenheit!

[Bper]

Even in this cold weather and the sun is shining through I am having to wear a cap to protect my head. Using a cream to get rid of the small rough areas on my head for the next 28 days and it is really sore already. 

Never gave it a second thought before about any potential problem that could  happen with my head due to sun damage. But I certainly do now it's a wake up call when told what this sun damaged skin can lead to.