About a month ago on the Dear Melanoma Facebook page I spoke
about my mission to find a great swim top. Although I avoid the most dangerous
parts of the day, try and swim in pools with shade and wear sunscreen, it is no
longer sufficient.
As a side effect of the clinical trial I am on, I am losing
the pigment in my hair and skin. At first it was only my hair – my eyebrows
started to go white and then the front segment of my hairline. Thank goodness
for hair dye and an amazing hairdresser! But, unfortunately, over the last few
months the pigment in my skin is slowly disappearing leaving me with some areas
of patchy skin and zero protection. I can get burnt walking short distances or
even out for a few minutes at the clothesline. What I didn’t know was that
sunscreen would provide zero protection to my skin. Once there is no pigment,
sunscreen provides no protection. For
example 50+ sunscreen gives 50 times your own skins ability to protect itself
from the sun. Therefore, I have no
protection.
