So I always thought I didn’t need to worry. Well it caught up with me after all these years. I started fishing with my Dad when I was 5 years old and I am now 67, the skin cancer got me. Had a nickel size spot removed yesterday, it was Basel cell carcinoma. Got it all. Not a major issued unless I didn’t get it removed. The last few years I have been covering myself to protect my body but I waited to long. I am not fair skinned so I had always thought no issues. Like a life jacket wear protective clothing.

Too much of most things are bad for your health as not enough is also bad for your health. Not sure what the daily recommended sun dose is however I believe in sun protection.

Very good you got it taken care of but if nickel size sounds like you really took a chance waiting so long to get it checked/removed and pretty fortunate it was only basal cell. I am 3 years younger than you if I have a spot that looks suspicious I get it checked heck I have had ones removed that were no larger than a pin head but scaly and pink. So far nothing worse than pre-cancerous and want to try and keep it that way. I am at the dermatologist at least twice per year and yes paying for all the sun exposure thru the years. Regardless very good heads up post everyone should get anything suspicious checked ASAP.

when it gets bad it will look like this, I suggest not letting things go like I did. get checked at least 2 times a yr. cuz this stuff is no fun at all, I am up to 43 removals with the head being the worst, most are pretty small.

You beat me by a bunch! Coincidentally headed to my skin doctor in about an hour for my annual checkup. He has been removing one or 2 each time. One Squamous which is more aggressive than basal cell but not as bad as Melanoma. I strongly recommend checkups and protection. Be careful out there!

I agree with the above as I am fair skin and freckled. I burn within 30 minutes so I have all kinds of SPF clothing and big round hats. So far Bullfrog sunscreen has been working fine with only a few suspect very small spots removed by age 63. Sure wish they would have had this good stuff when I was a kid as I got sunburned all the time as we fished a whole lot. Even when tanned at the end of summer I would still burn. Remember you can get a sunburn in the winter when on the water very easily. Glad they got is all Pumadon.

I am 53 now and had a Squamous Cell place removed from my back about 6 years ago.

I keep an close eye on myself now and do not hesitate to go get one checked.

It gets worse the older you get. Fortunately, being fair skinned, I've always tried to remember to be liberal with the sun block, but even with that I've had a couple of BCCA's removed. My mother (who would be 98 now) was always an outdoors person and as she got older, we usually had to take her in every month to have some removed.

Don, I feel your pain Sir. I had one removed from my right cheek this fall. It was just under my eye.
55 years old. Hope that heals up quick for ya.
By the way.....I fish completely covered now, and I fish at night a ton more than I used to.

Good PSA....most, like I did, think it will be a dark spot. The three basal cell I had looked like small bug bites and were on arms, shoulder and back in places you would expect a bite. Difference was they would not ever go away. They itch, flake off, seem to heal but then come back a little bigger. First one popped up after a Falcon trip and I thought I had gotten a spider bite in all the flooded timber. After 1 month I went in and they confirmed skin cancer. If it’s not healing and keeps recurring in the same spot have it checked. Mine started in my late 30s/early 40s. I see the dermatologist every 6 months now and cover up with all the new sun clothes......