Another word of advice is to make sure your clothes have and SPF rating also. I got a pretty good checkerboard sunburn once because the material did not block the infrared.

What are the symptoms or signs to look for? Im definately going to try to stay more covered up from now on

Nothing on my ears yet, but my face, arms and hands all have or have had skin cancer - caught in the early stages, fortunately. Grew up fishing from a rowboat in the central Texas sunshine, then worked summers as a life guard, followed by many, many hours under the hot sun in bass boats, mostly wearing a baseball cap. As said above, folks - this stuff is real. Please take no chances with skin cancer.

I had a spot on my right shoulder that didn't look like much, but it didn't go away. I mentioned it and another place on my face to my family doctor and was referred to a dermatologist. The place on my shoulder was basal cell cancer. Now I have a scar from 9-10 stitches put there after it was removed in December.

I told the doctor that I almost never go without a shirt in the sun anymore so I wasn't sure why I got skin cancer there. She said it could have come from a bad sunburn when I was a teenager or in college. That's been plenty of years ago...

Well, mine looked like a small red bump that eventually grew and then looked more like a wart ? For lack of a better description.
I made the mistake twice of just scratching it off. When it began to come back, said time to go to the doctor.
Years and years of exposure. Thinking about face/head/arms and almost always wearing a hat or baseball cap with never a thought to ears.
Please don't do the same thing. Something anything like that, see your doctor.
JMO
(really don't want anyone to go through this )

LOL, well for someone who "thought" took care of himself, guess I didn't.
But, in all honesty, the men in my family going back 11 generations have all died before the age of 50. My father died at 47, his brothers 1 at 32 and the other at 50. So the 'genealogy is not exactly real good. All of heart disease/heart attack.
God Bless
Lee

Thanks for the advice Lee in Twxas

I go every 6 months to have myself checked out , been out in the sun a lot of my life , more than most . Already have had spots sent off , all came back negative .

About 2 years ago I had a place on my left cheek that wouldn't heal. Turned out to be basal cell carcinoma (cancer). Had surgery to remove it. Since then,I've gone in every 6 months to get checked. The doctor has frozen some pre-cancerous spots each time. Now he is wanting me to do a complete "face peel" to see if there is cancer under the skin that can't be seen on the surface. I've seen photos of that procedure, and it's pretty gruesome looking. Have any of you had this procedure?

Great reminder, thanks

Good heads up Lee. I have a huge chunk of my nose cut out from cancer. Guys,you who are young just think you are getting away without protection.Look at most of the pro's now. They are wearing all kinds o stuff to protect themselves. Wise up!

My dad had a big place removed from his ear last year and one from his nose. The full brim Columbia hat now stays in the boat all the time. Glad to hear it was caught early.

Anything that changes in shape or color needs to be checked out. Rough patches of skin as well. Crusty spots that bleed if messed with are also an issue to be looked at. I have had three procedures so far, all were caught early and taken care of. Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and no one knows it better than we do, as we are living in it every day. If you even think it might be something, please get checked.

Even with wide brim hat, still wear sunscreen on face, neck and ears.

Sunlight reflecting off the water will get you just as bad.

I actually started wearing one of those silly looking sun hats last year and I will tell you what it not only protects your neck, ears, face more from the sun it is actually a lot cooler wearing it than not wearing it. I was surprised at what a difference it made.